The Walls of Cartagena (Hardcover) (ISBN-13: 9781416941026)

Calepino was blessed with good fortune. After his mother died giving birth to him on a slave ship, he was taken in by a wealthy woman who gave him every advantage. Then on his thirteenth birthday, Father Pedro, a devout priest, asks Calepino to assist him with the slaves coming into Cartagena. Soon he's fighting seasickness, living in squalor, and cursing every minute. That all begins to change when he meets Mara and Tomi, a mother and son who remind him of his own past.

When Tomi and Mara are sold to a cruel man, Calepino is more determined than ever to find a way to save them. Will this be his chance to change someone else's fortune, or will he put them all in more peril?

Richly detailed and researched, Julia Durango's gripping first novel brings to life what it means to be truly free.

Author: Julia Durango
ISBN-10: 1416941029
ISBN-13: 9781416941026
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Language: English
Published: 07/29/2008
Pages: 160
Format: Hardcover
Weight: 0.61lbs
Size: 7.30h x 5.60w x 0.70d

Accelerated Reader:
Reading Level: 5.6
Point Value: 4
Interest Level: Middle Grade
Quiz #/Name: 123742 / Walls of Cartagena

Award: Sydney Taylor Book Award - Notable
Award: Americas Award for Children & Young Adult Literature - Commended

Review Citation(s):
Kirkus Review - Children 06/15/2008 pg. 650
Booklist 07/01/2008 pg. 68
School Library Journal 09/01/2008 pg. 178
Hornbook Guide to Children 01/01/2009 pg. 67 - Recommended, Satisfactory