90 Miles to Havana

In 1961, many Cubans who opposed Fidel Castro's new government were worried their children were not safe in Cuba and may be sent away to Soviet work camps. Many sent their children away to live in America. Over 14,000 Cuban kids left for Miami in a mass evacuation called Operation Pedro Pan.  90 Miles to Havana is about a young boy Julian, who leaves Cuba with his two older brothers and is sent to a refugee camp in Miami.  Here they are bullied by a gang of boys that seem to be controlling the whole camp and eventually are separated from each other.  His brothers are sent to an orphanage and Julian escapes and goes to help a friend he has met rescue a family from Cuba. 

I really liked this book!  I did not know a lot about Operation Pedro Pan and it was interesting to hear about this part of Cuban and American history from Julian's perspective.  The author, Enrique Flores-Galbis, was a child refugee and much of what happens to Julian is based on his own experiences.  There is something for everyone in this book, but students who like historical fiction will really like this book.