Wild Dreamers (YA fiction in verse)

Margarita Engle, a Cuban American author of books for juvenile and YA readers, has won quite a few prestigious awards. And it's no wonder. She's one of those rare writers whose work is so consistently excellent that when you see her newest title you know you're in for a treat. Wild Dreamers is no exception to that rule.
"My family fled Cuba
on a lashed-together jumble
of inner tubes, balsa wood and fear
exactly ten years ago, when I had just learned
how to read, and all I craved were tale
of adventure."
Leandro and his parents had to flee their native Cuba when the wrong people learned a family secret. During their terrifying journey Leandro fell off the raft and his father drowned rescuing him. Not surprisingly he has debilitating anxiety.
"He thinks vaccines
carry tracking chips.
He's convinced that climate change
is a myth, and species aren't in danger
of extinction, and racism isn't real.
The last time I saw Dad was two years ago,
when he joined a militia training camp
armed with weapons of war."
Ana's American-born Cuban father is on the F.B.I.'s most wanted list. Although her mother works they are homeless, living in their car. Her school's counselor gives her access to a closet full of donated survival supplies.
"Everything is available
in this storage room of gifts
from rich strangers—everything
except dignity."
And then there's the delightful voice voice of Cielo the singing dog, Leandro's therapy animal companion.
"she is so clearly the boy's scent mate
but how will I manage to show her
that he's so much more courageous
than he seems."
Will Cielo's dogged attempts bring Leandro and Ana together?
Wild Dreamers is a delightful narrative with a just right touch of magic. And it's so much more. Readers will learn of the danger to wild species when human habitation splits up their habitat and how rewinding can help mitigate this.
On a purrrsonal note Friday I got around to getting my state ID renewed. I was thrilled to fill out the form changing my gender from F to X. The wait and transportation took freaking forever. But fortunately I had enough time before heading back home to reward myself with two outfits and a dress from Goodwill.
A great big shout out goes out to the kind, helpful, and professional DMV person who helped me with all the paperwork and actually took a flattering picture.
Jules Hathaway