I requested My Brigadista Year, by two-time Newbery-medalist Katherine Paterson, from the LibraryThing Early Reviewers program back in September 2017, but never received it from the publisher.  I was able to check out the book recently from my library's e-book collection.

This was a fascinating historical novel for young people about the Cuban literacy campaign of 1961.  Thirteen-year-old Havana resident Lora volunteers to become a brigadista, a member of the brigade of young people recruited to teach the illiterate in rural areas how to read and write.  Her not-wealthy family is not enthusiastic about her participation, but were somewhat mollified with the news that Lora would have free secondary and university education if she finished her year of service.

Told in first person in Lora's voice, Paterson's novel gives some background on Lora's family and early life, then follows her from her departure from Havana in March 1961, to the Veradero training camp where she learns how to teach, and on ito the Escambray Mountains where she meets her squad at base camp and gets her assignment. (There's a helpful map at the beginning of the book).

Lora lives with the family she's teaching, helping them with daily tasks such as drawing water from the river, and plowing fields.  There's time to socialize with the family and another nearby, as well as the other brigadistas every Sunday at the base camp.  The book also details some of the techniques used to teach and test reading and writing skills.  I especially liked the test that had the students write a letter to Fidel Castro.  Lora has until the end of the program, on December 22, to achieve success with her seven students, six adults and one child.

Paterson provides additional historical background and discusses the sources she used in an author's note at the end of the book.  She also includes a timeline of Cuban history through early 2017.  Written at a fifth-grade reading level, and aimed at middle grades (4th or 5th to 8th or 9th), this is an inspiring book about a youth-centered project, with the important message for all ages that teachers often learn as much from their students as the students do from their teachers. ( )

Lora is a sheltered 13 year old in Havana when Fidel Castro puts out a call for volunteers to teach the entire country to read in 1961. She manages to convince her reluctant parents to allow her to join the Conrado Benitez Brigade and become a Brigadista for a year, living and working in the countryside with peasant families and teaching them to read in the evenings. This assignment is dangerous, as there are still rebel forces in the hills, who vow to attack and murder as many Brigadistas as possible, in a strike against Castro's new regime.

Totally engrossing, quick read (180 pages). Completely from an excited and literary-focused girl's perspective, so the later aspects of the Castro regime that many people fled from are not present in this book at all unless you read the very interesting timeline and author's note at the back. It really is a fascinating project, astonishing that they managed to pull it off, and an incredibly empowering example for kids. Gun violence, murder, propaganda and politics are all intrinsic to the story, but so is the idea of teaching through respect, and of learning on both sides (teachers, students). While Paterson is not drawing on personal memories, she researched thoroughly and talks extensively about that in her author's note. 1961 attitudes about skin color and gender are present throughout the book as well. Gives me a new respect for a country that values education and poetry so highly, and I learned an enormous amount about the complexities of Cuban politics. ( )

13-year-old Lora lives in Havana, Cuba, around the Cuban Revolution. She notices some of her classmates leave after the former government is overthrown but does not overthink it. She sees an advertisement looking for reading teacher volunteers of any age; it will help pay for her schooling in exchange. She soon goes to the dangerous rural areas of Cuba to teach reading and writing to the people there – some of them are her elders.

It’s 1961 Cuba and Fidel Castro calls for volunteers to bring literacy to all of the country’s people within a year. Thirteen-year-old Lora takes up the challenge in this coming-of-age novel, showing readers how young people can change the word. Includes Epilogue, Author’s Note, Timeline.

One of the best books I’ve read this year! Lora, only 13, volunteers for Fidel Castro’s Literacy Program. After learning how to teach, she is sent with an army of other young people into the countryside, to teach the poor how to read. It is full of danger and challenge.
First, having the story told in First-Person gives us real insight into the character growth and courage of Lora. Second, the research of the history of Cuba is impeccable. Seeing America through the eyes of Cubs Under Castro was enlightening and made me think about our country in a different (but good) way. Americans can get a bit myopic when it comes to our place in the world and this book helps open the viewpoint in a good way.
I highly recommend for anyone, ages 8-9 and above. There is some talk of death and fear, and one character does die. While not graphic (or even on-screen) it has an effect on the characters. The realities of what these kids did and what Cuba was like at the time is not washed-over, but told in simply language. History is not always pretty but worth reading and Patterson has given us a book worth reading. ( )