Reading Metrics
Description
Thirteen-year-old Calepino, an African slave in the seventeenth-century Caribbean city of Cartagena, works with a Jewish doctor in a leper colony and after helping an Angolan boy and his mother escape, he realizes his true calling.
Quick Summary
Thirteen-year-old Calepino, an African slave in the seventeenth-century Caribbean city of Cartagena, works alongside a Jewish doctor in a leper colony and helps an Angolan boy and his mother escape to freedom. The book explores themes of courage, friendship across cultural boundaries, and discovering one's purpose amid the moral complexities of slavery and colonial oppression. If your kid likes "The Girl Who Could Not Feel" or other historical fiction about resilient young people facing injustice, they'll be drawn to this story's unique setting and emotional depth. This is ideal for fourth and fifth graders who read at a fifth-grade level and enjoy stories about kids standing up for others in difficult historical settings.