Copyright Date:
2021
Edition Date:
2021
Release Date:
08/03/21
ISBN:
1-324-01665-5
ISBN 13:
978-1-324-01665-6
Dewey:
921
Language:
English
Reviews:
Starred Review ALA Booklist
(Thu Apr 01 00:00:00 CDT 2021)
Starred Review When Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico in 2017, Salvador Gómez-Colón had just turned 15. That was old enough to help, he decided. This is his first-person account of weathering that devastating storm and helping those in his community and surrounding cities in its aftermath. In the days following Maria, Salvador quickly recognized that two things people were in desperate need of were light and clean clothes, seeing as much of the island was without power. Thus began the young teen's first nonprofit endeavor: Light and Hope in Puerto Rico, a crowdfunded campaign to buy and distribute solar lamps with phone chargers and hand-powered washing machines. Compellingly written with an emphasis on compassion, this entry in the I, Witness series (2 titles) is a fantastic way of connecting teens with activism and current events in a very real way. Following Salvador's narrative are a time line and additional facts to foster discussion and personal involvement. An exciting new nVoices series that reaches a slightly younger audience than the Pocket Change Collective.
Suffering heavy damage in the wake of Hurricane Maria in 2017, Puerto Rican communities lacked access to clean water and electricity. Salvador Gómez-Colón couldn't ignore the basic needs of his homeland, and knew that nongovernmental organizations and larger foreign philanthropies could only do so much. With unstoppable energy and a deep knowledge of local culture, Salvador founded Light and Hope for Puerto Rico and raised more than $100,000 to purchase and distribute solar-powered lamps and hand-powered washing machines to households in need. With a voice that is both accessible and engaging, Salvador recalls living through the catastrophic storm and grappling with the destruction it left behind. Hurricane brings forward a captivating first-person account of strength, resilience, and determination, and heralds the start of a new series of compelling narrative nonfiction by young people, for young people.