Deborah Kent opens with the 1999 Elian Gonzalez story. The complex issues of his return to Cuba are not addressed, probably because of the intended age 9-12 audience, but a photo of protestors with the sign “freedom supersedes fatherhood” can confuse young readers. The book continues with a brief history of Cuba and an overview of Cuban immigration to the United States. The book features color and black-and-white photographs, a map, glossary (including pronunciation guides, of complex words in boldface in the text), timeline (1511-2002 highlights), short bibliography, and index. ( )