reformadeflorida Book Reviews

“Beasts of Carnaval” Rosália Rodrigo

Mira (Harlequin Enterprises) HarperCollins. To be published July 29, 2025.

Recommended for Adults.

Reviewed by: Alma Ramos-McDermott

Category: Adult

Rating: 5 stars

Sofía missed her twin brother Sol. Born slaves, they were sold away from their loving mother when they were 5 years old to the Hacienda Esperanza in Etérea owned by rich Hisperians. Over 300 years ago Hisperians conquered Etérea and its native people, the Taike’ri. Though Hisperians raped, sold, and murdered them by the hundreds of thousands in their lust for gold and riches the Taike’ri were almost decimated, but their descendants lived on as mestizos and slaves. Sol and Sofía knew some of their ancestral history, but most had been obscured through years of Hisperian dominance.

Many years passed while they labored under their bonds. Five years earlier Sol and his master left to attend el Carnaval de Bestias on a nearby island but never returned. Sofía spent years collecting every scrap of information on the Carnaval that she could find, seeking information on her brother. Though she had been freed at age 14 it took her many more years to gather the courage to leave Adelina, her young mistress and best friend, to go find her brother.

She thought she’d succeeded in slipping away, but Adelina found out and they went together. When they arrived on the island, it was unlike anything Sofía had ever experienced. Everything was beautiful. The hotel was detailed and opulent, and every desire was met. Hotel workers wore scary-looking masks, portraying themselves as vejigantes. Guests also wore masks, spending their days partying, drinking, carousing, and dancing. Everyone slept and rose at the same time, ate sumptuously decadent food, and were entertained with nightly carnival-like shows. Everything followed the same incredible pattern every day, so the girls soon forgot why they’d come to the island. They were having too much fun.

Things went on this way for a long time, until Sofía began to remember why they were there. Though she kept forgetting, she also began having strange dreams and felt like she was being watched. Adelina was oblivious, but Sofía was determined to find out why she kept forgetting and discover what was hiding under the Carnaval’s perfect surface. What she found out would shake the foundations of her life and cause her to question everything she’d ever known to be true.

As I read, my mind kept making comparisons between the Taíno and the Taike’ri. Descendants of the Taíno of Puerto Rico, like me, grew up thinking our ancestors were destroyed by Columbus and his fellow conquistadores/torturers. We are still here! There is much to learn about the Taíno, so I enjoy books like this which shed more light on their life before Columbus “discovered” them.

Recommended for Adults.

I received a digital advance reading copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Note: This review was originally published on You Decide: Should I read it or not?

Reproduced here as a courtesy to Alma Ramos-McDermott.

reformadeflorida Book Reviews

“Bobbito’s book of b-ball bong bong!: A memoir of sports, style, and soul” Bobbito García

Edge of Sports (Akashic Books.) 216 p. To be published July 1, 2025.

Reviewed by: Alma Ramos-McDermott

Category: High School/Adult

Rating: 5 stars

Bobbito grew up on 97th Street in New York City and, like everyone else in the 70’s, 80’s, and 90’s, grew up playing basketball. Pick-up games in NYC were rough, and he had to be tough if he wanted to play. He had to learn to hold his own and to have style while doing it. Bobbito learned the game by playing against and watching future and current NBA and NCAA players on the courts, received tips from local coaches and friends, and practiced hard every single day. His life revolved around basketball. Though he wasn’t as good as some of the greats that played in Harlem and nearby courts back in the day, Bobbito could hold his own and developed a few tricks that wowed the crowd.

Eventually, his knowledge and love for the game took Bobbito around the world as he became a coach, sports interviewer, writer, producer, hip hop host, and more. However, nothing could ever make him happier than the feel of a basketball in his hands and the swish of the net as his jump shot hit its mark.

In his own words Bobbito describes the good and bad of growing up in NYC, describing in detail how basketball was a unifying sport and gave purpose to his life. Despite often being called a white boy because of his light skin, Bobbito was proud of his Puerto Rican heritage and his skills on the court silenced naysayers.

Teens and adults interested in the game of basketball, its famous greats, and more, will be drawn into Bobbito’s story through his humor, first-person narrative, no-holds-barred NYC street lingo, and large, colorful photographs that accompany the text. It would make a great book club read for reluctant teen readers especially if, after every chapter, they were given the chance to practice what they learned on the courts.

Recommended for ages 16 and older.

Note: This review was originally published on You Decide: Should I read it or not?

Reproduced here as a courtesy to Alma Ramos-McDermott.

reformadeflorida Book Reviews

“Call me Roberto: Roberto Clemente goes to bat for Latinos” Nathalie Alonso; art by Rudy Gutierrez

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Calkins Creek (Astra Books for Young Readers). 2024.

Reviewed by Alma Ramos-McDermott

Category: Elementary school

Rating: 5 stars

(Includes “Author’s note,” photographs, “Glossary,” “Timeline of Roberto Clemente’s life,” and a “Selected Bibliography.”) 2024.

Exciting, action-filled descriptions of Roberto Clemente’s incredible hits, throws, and leaps that lifted the Pirates to two World Series, are contrasted with the lows he experienced due to racism. Reporters, opposing players, and fans didn’t like that he was Black and spoke Spanish, while teammates ignored him. Roberto insisted on being called by his first name, while reporters wanted to call him “Bob” because it sounded “more American” and made fun of his accent by phonetically quoting him in newspapers. During spring training in segregated Florida Roberto couldn’t leave his far-away room in a hotel for Blacks that was nothing like that provided to his White teammates. The constant prejudices he endured made Roberto more determined to have Latino players be treated equally.

Roberto was proud to be from Puerto Rico, and they were proud of him. After his first World Series win hardly anyone in Pittsburgh cared that he’d had a hit in every game, but Puerto Rico threw him a huge parade. They were always ready to celebrate his talent when he returned home, but Pittsburgh and its reporters only saw his skin color. Roberto was interviewed after his second World Series win and shocked everyone when he spoke Spanish, giving his blessing to his children and asking his parents for theirs. Puerto Ricans were extra proud. 

Rudy Gutierrez’s lively and bold illustrations made with acrylic paint, colored pencils, and crayons fill each page. Scattered throughout are a series of Puerto Rican symbols like her elusive coquis, flag, palm trees, Flamboyan, and Taino petroglyphs, as well as musical instruments like the cuatro, bomba drum, maracas, pandero, and pandereta (tambourine). These hidden jewels, fun for young readers to discover, allow Roberto’s story to be interspersed with his island’s history and music.

From humble beginnings in Carolina, Puerto Rico, to the pinnacle of his success with the Pirates in 1972, young readers will learn about the phenomenon that was Roberto Clemente. Alonso’s phrases from the beginning and end of Roberto’s story states “He lives to swing and slide. To catch. To throw. To run.” These sentences summarize Roberto’s beginning and his end. Though tragically killed almost 53 years ago, Roberto’s baseball legacy in Pittsburgh, and the love he had for Puerto Rico, will live forever in the minds and hearts of his fans.

I really hope this book wins a Pura Belpré Author award as well as an Illustration Award at the January 2025 ALA Media Awards in Phoenix. As a Puerto Rican, it makes me proud. I will be in Phoenix that Monday morning to hope, scream, and shout if/when it wins. Stay tuned!

Highly recommended for ages 6-10.

Note: This review was originally posted in You Decide: Should I read it or not?

Reproduced here as a courtesy to Alma Ramos-McDermott.