Representation: Native American character, Latino character

7/10, it was ok but nothing too remarkable. The characters were fine however the plot was somewhat interesting, it was essentially the characters' experience of building the Panama Canal but it could use some improvements here and there. I liked Mateo and Henry out of all the people in the book because in their perspectives in the story they were treated as second class workers just because they weren't white but I'm not surprised, this was before desegregation and more equal human rights so that plot point was understandable. I don't have anything to say about Anita who was a Native American medicine girl and that was the only characteristic of her. The perspectives of the trees and animals of the forest were intriguing at first but they lost their charm and became dull and repetitive it should have been cut off during the editing process of the book. In the end, Mateo, Henry, and Anita all reflect on the completion of the Panama Canal and what it took to get it done, that was a good ending I suppose. If you like an easy yet interesting read about an obscure part of history or you like verse novels this is the book for you. ( )

A lovely story set during the construction of the Panama Canal, and written in short poems from the perspective of multiple people and to some extent, even animals and nature. The story highlights the variety of nationalities working together, some of the power dynamics present, and I think stirs the imagination in a way that encourages further study. Apart from the value of setting, I didn't find the story nearly as memorable as Engle's Cuba books-- The Firefly Letters or The Surrender Tree.

I'm not sure I'm a fan of the verse style of this novel, but the variety of viewpoints is helpful and the short sections make reading quick. Until this book, it never occurred to me to wonder what happened to the land, animals, and people in the area flooded in the creation of the Panama Canal. ( )

Engaging verse from multiple perspectives recounts the multicultural history of the Panama Canal labor force. The unfolding story tells of constructions of race, environmental damages, and exploited yet resilient people. Historical Note, Selected References.

Silver People is about a boy, who came from a Spanish Island to make a living. He saw a ad about work for the Panama Canal that showed luxurious living quarters so he decided he wanted to work there. When he shows up they are taken by train to the spot where they are going to work. When they get there they are all measured for there coffins and everybody realizes that this is not what they thought it was. They are separated and sent to there living bunks and they all have, 1 bed and some cloths. The work is hard and nobody likes it. They get paid on Saturdays and that's when they realize that they are all silver workers, because they are colored. The gold workers are all white. Later in the book Mateo (the boy) meets Anita who works in the forest. They both help a Gold worker with his paintings on the wildlife. Mateo catches the Yellow fever, and is forced to go to the "hospital" for the silver workers, however it is Anita who really heals him. Later when the Canal is done Anita and Mateo get married and they live near the canal, where you can only reach them by boat.
My opinion of this book is that was very good. I have never imagined that the canal was built by such poorly taken care of people. Many people died while digging the canal due to poor living conditions. I liked that the book was written in "Poetry Form" though the poems did not rhyme. It was interesting because along with poems about work there they had poems about the animals living there. Many people do not realize that when we built the canal may species of animals were forced to migrate to other places. I would recommend this book to anybody who would like the figurative language used. ( )