In this companion volume to Alma Flor Ada's Where the Flame Trees Bloom, the author offers young readers another inspiring collection of stories and reminiscences drawn from her childhood on the island of Cuba. Through those stories we see how the many events and relationships she enjoyed helped shape who she is today.We learn of a deep friendship with a beloved dance teacher that helped sustain young Alma Flor through a miserable year in school. We meet relatives, like her mysterious Uncle Manolo, whose secret, she later learns, is that he dedicated his life to healing lepers. We share the tragedy of another uncle whose spirited personality leads to his love of flying...and the crash that takes his life.Heartwarming, poignant, and often humorous, this collection encourages children to discover the stories in their our own lives -- stories that can help inform their own values and celebrate the joys and struggles we all share no matter where or when we grew up.

Alma Flor Ada was born in Camaguey, Cuba, and has lived in Spain and Peru. She now lives in San Francisco, California, where she is a professor of multicultural education at the University of San Francisco. She also travels all over the United States giving lectures and workshops on that subject. Ms. Ada has published prolifically in Spain, Mexico, and Peru, as well as the United States. Her other books for Atheneum include The Gold Coin (illustrated by Neil Waldman), My Name Is Maria Isabel, Dear Peter Rabbit and Yours Truly, Goldilocks (both illustrated by Leslie Tryon), and The Malachite Palace (illustrated by Leonid Gore).