Viva, Rose!

Reviewed by: Amy McInerney - Falmouth Elementary School, Falmouth, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: June 12, 2018

Review

When Rose sees a picture of her brother Abram standing next to Pancho Villa in the newspaper, she realizes with rage that he has lied to her family and has snuck off to join the revolutionary army. Rose decides to find Abram and make him come home to his family, but she ends up getting kidnapped and brought right to the camp. When she arrives, Pancho Villa's niece grows fond of her and orders her to be her play companion. As Rose orbits in the same circle as her brother, she eventually makes contact and learns that he has no desire to return home. As she makes an escape for her life, she is forced to rely on her own strength to return home to her family. This rare and fascinating historical novel focuses on a key time in history on which not many middle grade novels are written. Krawitz's vivid descriptions bring to life the desert setting and compel readers to feel Rose's suspense and frustration. Advanced middle grade readers will truly appreciate this book, as there is a lot of content to understand. This would make a great read-aloud as well, and would open discussion to multicultural and historical discussions.

Overall Book Score: very good