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Book Summary and Reviews of Wild Dreamers by Margarita Engle

Wild Dreamers by Margarita Engle

Wild Dreamers

by Margarita Engle

  • Critics' Consensus (4):
  • Published:
  • Apr 2024, 224 pages
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About this book

Book Summary

In this stirring young adult romance from award-winning author Margarita Engle, love and conservation intertwine as two teens fight to protect wildlife and heal from their troubled pasts.

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.

Please be aware that this discussion guide will contain spoilers!
  1. How does the story that Leandro shares about the couple in the cavern foreshadow his relationship with Ana and their rewilding efforts?
  2. Indigenous people are mentioned throughout the story, such as the Taíno people from the Caribbean, including Cuba. How are Indigenous cultures connected to the environment? Use examples from the text and further research to support your answer.
  3. Ana mentions that the school counselor's supply closet has everything available, "everything / except dignity." (p. 28) What does she mean by this? How do you define dignity?
  4. When Leandro and Ana touch, they appear to glow. What does this metaphor mean? Why does the glow change color after Leandro experiences a panic attack? Use ...
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Reviews

Media Reviews

"Emotions run deep and true in the concrete poems and free verse, which offer complex relationships that are familial, cultural, romantic, and environmental, appropriately blurring the lines between them for readers already invested in effecting heartfelt change." —The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books (starred review)

"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 make a lasting impact." —Kirkus Reviews

"It's a heartwarming and inspiring eco-centric read that addresses timely issues such as conservation of wildlife and emphasizes the importance of people's connecting to nature—and each other." —Publishers Weekly

This information about Wild Dreamers was first featured in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.

Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.

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Author Information

Margarita Engle Author Biography

Photo: Shevaun Williams

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; and The Lightning Dreamer. 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.

Link to Margarita Engle's Website

Other books by Margarita Engle at BookBrowse
  • Wings in the Wild jacket
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