The Moonlit Vine

By Elizabeth Santiago, McKenzie Mayle
Hardcover: $24.95

Fourteen-year-old Taína just learned that she is a descendant of a long line of strong Taíno women, but will knowing this help her bring peace and justice to her family and community?

Audiobook Edition

Front cover for Claro de luna by Elizabeth Santiago; Cecilia Molinari and McKenzie Mayle
This book is also available in Spanish
Claro de luna
By Elizabeth Santiago, McKenzie Mayle, Cecilia Molinari

Description

Despite her name, Taína Perez doesn’t know anything about her Taíno heritage, nor has she ever tried to learn. After all, how would ancient Puerto Rican history help with everything going on? There’s constant trouble at school and in her neighborhood, her older brother was kicked out of the house, and with her mom at work, she’s left alone to care for her little brother and aging grandmother. It’s a lot for a 14-year-old to manage.

But life takes a wild turn when her abuela tells her she is a direct descendant of Anacaona, the beloved Taíno leader, warrior, and poet, who was murdered by the Spanish in 1503. Abuela also gives her an amulet and a zemi and says that it’s time for her to step into her power like the women who came before her. But is that even possible? People like her hardly make it out of their circumstances, and the problems in her home and community are way bigger than Taína can manage. Or are they?

A modern tale with interstitial historical chapters, The Moonlit Vine brings readers a powerful story of the collective struggle, hope, and liberation of Puerto Rican and Taíno peoples.

Also available in Spanish!

About the Creators

Author photo of Elizabeth Santiago
Elizabeth Santiago

Elizabeth Santiago grew up in Boston, MA with parents who migrated from San Sebastián, Puerto Rico in the 1960s. The youngest of nine, Elizabeth was entranced by the stories her mother, father, aunts and uncles, and community elders told her. Later, she sought to capture and honor those narratives and share them with the world. She earned a BFA in creative writing from Emerson College, a master’s in education from Harvard University, and a PhD in education studies from Lesley University. She still lives in Boston with her husband Kevin and son Ezekiel, but travels to Puerto Rico as often as she can to feel even closer to her ancestors, culture, and heritage. Find her @liznarratives

McKenzie Mayle
McKenzie Mayle

McKenzie Mayle is a New York City based artist and illustrator with roots in Appalachia Ohio. She delights in creating relatable and eccentric characters, predominantly inspired by Tim Burton, Shel Silverstein, Jann Brett, and Roald Dahl imagery. Van Gogh and Monet influenced the scenery she would create for her characters. When not drawing or out and about people-watching for character inspiration, she can be found cuddled with her cats, Pretzel and Tarmac. Find her at mckenziemayle.com.

Awards

  • Best Books 2023

    Kirkus Reviews

  • RISE: A Feminist Book Project Booklist Winner 2024

    American Library Association (ALA)

  • Massachusetts Book Award Longlist 2024

    Massachusetts Center for the Book

  • Best Children's Books of the Year Winner 2024

    Bank Street College of Education

  • Maine Student Book Award Longlist 2024

    Maine Library Association

Reviews

  • * "A beautiful ode to Puerto Rican history...Santiago's writing sparkles, even as it draws upon hard realities that Puerto Ricans can face in their everyday lives and sense of cultural identity. Filled with arresting prose and historical stories, this novel brings Puerto Rican history into the present, mixing in realistic themes to which most readers will relate."

    - Booklist
  • * "Readers will cheer for the bold, resourceful protagonist as she uses her newfound power to bring everyone she cares about together. . .Mayle's evocative black-and-white art and interstitial chapters centering Ty's ancestors through the centuries round out the contemporary storyline . . . Deeply moving, beautifully written, and inspiring."

    - Kirkus Reviews
  • "Mayle's elegant b&w art appears throughout and historical interstitials center Ty's forebears as they endured harrowing events such as genocide and colonization. Via evocative third-person prose, Santiago proudly showcases Taíno culture in this empowering debut that is at once educational, realistic, and speculative."

    - Publishers Weekly
  • "The two time lines and storylines bring history and realistic fiction to a tense intersection. . . Simple sentence structures and comprehensive language still deliver a goldmine of story telling. With compassion and tenderness, this same structure brings to the page the upheavals that Ty confronts. Looming large over all of the conflicts is Ty's inspirational courage and love for her family."

    - School Library Journal

Hardcover

  • ISBN 9781643795805
  • Publication Date May 30, 2023
  • Trim Size 8.25 × 5.5 in
  • Weight 1.375 lbs
  • Page Count 368
  • Word Count 71858
  • Interests

  • Audience Young Adult
  • BISAC Category 1 YAF / Social Themes / Assimilation
  • BISAC Category 2 YAF / People & Places / United States / Hispanic & Latino
  • BISAC Category 3 YAF / Historical / United States / Colonial & Revolutionary Periods
  • Themes Biracial / Multiracial, Conflict resolution, Coping with Death, Courage, Cultural Diversity, Discrimination, Diversity, Empathy / Compassion, Families, Fiction, Forgiveness, Grandparents, Heroism, History & Civics, Identity / Self Esteem / Confidence, Immigration, Indigenous / First Nations / Native American, Integrity / Honesty, Latinx / Latino / Hispanic, Leadership, Mothers, Neighbors, Overcoming Obstacles, Paranormal, Persistence / Grit, Pride, Protest, Responsibility, Siblings, Spanish, Teen Interest, Tolerance / Acceptance, United States History, Women's History, YA interest
  • Reading Levels

  • Age Range Ages 13 - 18
  • Grade Range Grades 8 - 12
  • Guided Reading Z
  • Spanish Guided Reading Z
  • ATOS Book Level 5.1
  • DRA 80
  • Interest Level Grades 8 - 12
  • Lexile Code HL
  • Lexile Level 760
  • Reading Level Grades 8 - 12
  • Bebop Reading Fluent
  • This Book is Included in These Collections:

    • 53
      Summer Reading Collection
      Collection of 53 books: $765.35

      76 in stock

    • 67
      Authentic Spanish List
      Collection of 67 books: $1,045.65