Wild Dreamers

Name: Wild Dreamers
Brand: Simon & Schuster Audio
Availability: InStock
Author: Margarita Engle
ISBN: 9781797177694

Author: Margarita Engle

Narrator: Zac Aleman, Andre Bellido, Alejandra Reynoso

Unabridged: 2 hr 16 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio

Published: 04/23/2024

Categories: Young Adult Fiction, Hispanic & Latino, Novels In Verse, Science & Nature

Synopsis

Longlisted for the National Book Award
A Pura Belpré Young Adult Author Honor Book

In this stirring young adult novel-in-verse from award-winning author Margarita Engle, love and conservation intertwine as two teens go on a “transformative journey celebrating the power of overcoming personal struggles to make a lasting impact” (Kirkus Reviews).

Ana and her mother have been living out of their car ever since her militant father became one of the FBI’s most wanted. Leandro has struggled with debilitating anxiety since his family fled Cuba on a perilous raft.

One moonlit night, in a wilderness park in California, Ana and Leandro meet. Their connection is instant—a shared radiance that feels both scientific and magical. Then they discover they are not alone: a huge mountain lion stalks through the trees, one of many wild animals whose habitat has been threatened by humans.

Determined to make a difference, Ana and Leandro start a rewilding club at their school, working with scientists to build wildlife crossings that can help mountain lions find one another. If pumas can find their way to a better tomorrow, surely Ana and Leandro can too.

About Margarita Engle

Margarita Engle is the Cuban American author of many books including the verse novels Rima’s Rebellion; Your Heart, My Sky; With a Star in My Hand; The Surrender Tree, a Newbery Honor winner; The Lightning Dreamer; and Wild Dreamers, a Pura Belpré Young Adult Author Honor book. Her verse memoirs include Soaring Earth and Enchanted Air, which received the Pura Belpré Award, a Walter Dean Myers Award Honor, and was a finalist for the YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction, among others. Her picture books include Drum Dream Girl, Dancing Hands, and The Flying Girl. Visit her at MargaritaEngle.com.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Erin on September 30, 2024

A young adult novel in verse that touches on so many important and heartfelt issues. Ana and Leandro are both immigrants to California. Ana has been unhoused for a while but she dreams of living in a home with her mother some day. Leandro and his therapy dog work at a bakery, but he dreams of overco......more

Goodreads review by Becky on September 16, 2024

This short novel in verse came onto my radar when it was long listed for the National Book Award in Young People’s Literature. Told from three different perspectives, this story has a lot to unpack. Ana is an unhoused teen living with her mother and apart from her fugitive conspiracy theorist dad. L......more

Goodreads review by Shannon on May 03, 2024

A moving YA dual POV novel in verse that follows a young teen boy with extreme anxiety with a service dog who falls for a homeless Cuban American girl. This book tackles some heavy issues including mental health, the death of a parent in the past, eco-activism and the life of being unhoused. Great o......more

Goodreads review by Hoover Public Library on September 27, 2024

Longlisted for 2024 National Book Award for Young People's Literature! "Verse in various forms, including beautiful concrete poems, effectively conveys this story’s themes of sustainability, resilience, and activism. A transformative journey celebrating the power of overcoming personal struggles to m......more

Goodreads review by The Page Ladies on June 08, 2024

Wild Dreamers is a beautifully written ya love story! The story is a dual pov & worked well for this book! My favorite part was the novel-in-verse format. It really added to the depth of the story & helped enhance emotions! It's a powerful book that will be hard to forget! Thank you Margarita Engle......more

Quotes

"The narrators successfully infuse their voices with the rapid emotional changes of their characters' complicated circumstances. Aleman voices Cielo in a rich voice that conveys wisdom. Bellido and Reynoso aptly change their voices to match the emotional turmoil of young adults who are learning to navigate life."