Sacred Leaf

December 1, 2007
Gr 5-8-This sequel to "I Am a Taxi" (Groundwood, 2006) opens with Diego, about 12 years old, living in the hinterlands of Bolivia, where he has been taken in by the kindly Ricardo family. They, like his unjustly imprisoned parents, are cocaleros, poor farmers whose cash crop is coca. He makes himself as useful as possible, and only Bonita Ricardo, who is about his age, resents him and wishes him gone. Soon, soldiers arrive and destroy their crop. Their dreams for a better future dashed, the Ricardos find themselves taking part in a nationwide protest. Joining their neighbors to block the only road through the area, Diego and the Ricardos work together to maintain solidarity and deal with rising tensions as the army threatens increasing force to reopen the road. Three climactic events follow as Diego waves a white flag to get help for an injured friend, then he and Bonita rush to stop an ill-advised attack on the soldiers. In the final pages, Diego exacts a measure of revenge on the men who had, among other things, killed his friend Mando, as explained in a two-page "The story so far]" that brings readers up to speed on events from the first book. An easy read that touches on issues seldom addressed for young teens such as third-world subsistence farming, Spanish/Indian cultural conflict, and the U.S. culpability in driving the international drug trade, this novel might work particularly well where differentiated (lower-reading level) texts on such subjects are needed."Joel Shoemaker, Southeast Junior High School, Iowa City, IA"

Copyright 2007 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

January 1, 2008
Having escaped cocaine processors in the Bolivian jungle, 12-year-old Diego finds a temporary home with a family of small farmers, who join a country-wide protest after their coca crop is confiscated. This second novel in the Cocalero series makes clear the importance of coca in Bolivias rural economy, the farmers grinding poverty and hard work, and the hardship caused by attempts to wipe out this traditional crop. Although her sympathy with the protesters is clear, Ellis shows admirable and less admirable characters on both sides, and she leaves the door open for further episodes.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2008, American Library Association.)