Common Sense Media Review
By Lucinda Dyer
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
History comes alive through the voices of four young girls.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 10+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
What's the Story?
ACROSS SO MANY SEAS begins in Toledo, Spain in 1492. Unwilling to convert to Christianity, Benvenida, her parents, and two brothers make a perilous journey across Spain to reach a ship that will take them to her grandparents in Italy. Then it's onto Constantinople (today's Istanbul) in Turkey, where the Sultan has offered the exiled Jews of Spain a safe haven. In 1923, Benvenida's descendant Reina is living with her family in Constantinople. She and her sisters play with the children of the family's Muslim neighbors and the two families often celebrate Jewish and Muslim holidays together. But when Reina disobeys her father and sneaks out with her neighbor Sadik to watch fireworks, she pays a heavy price. Her father feels she's shamed the family, so she's sent to Cuba to live with an aunt until she's 15 and can marry a man her father has chosen for her. In 1961, Fidel Castro has come to power in Cuba and girls as young as Reina's daughter Alegra are being trained as "brigadistas" and sent to rural villages to teach reading and writing. But Alegra's father is in trouble with the new government and wanting to keep her safe, he sends Alegra to Miami. In 2003, Reina is living in Miami, close to her daughter and granddaughter, Paloma. When the family makes a trip to Spain to explore the history of Toledo's Jewish community, Reina has a surprise reunion with someone from her past.
Is It Any Good?
A vivid and engaging history with warm and relatable characters, this story offers readers valuable lessons in determination, resilience, and tolerance. The historical events (the expulsion of the Jews from Spain, the Turkish War of Independence, and Castro's revolution in Cuba) in Across So Many Seas are presented as background for the girls' stories, so even kids reluctant to read about "history" are sure to be captivated. Ruth Behar's painstaking research serves to make each period of history feel alive and present, and the messages of four generations of women keeping their Jewish identity alive and making their voices heard will be relatable for many readers. For those who love music, the story includes songs (with lyrics translated into English) passed down through generations of the family.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the courage and perseverance it took for the characters in Across So Many Seas to start new lives in a new country. Have you ever moved to a new town or school? Was it hard for you to make friends and finally feel at home?
What do you know about your family's history? Is there a person or an event you want to learn more about?
Are there any traditions that have been passed down in your family? Is there a new tradition you'd like to start after reading this novel?
Book Details
- Author :
- Genre : Historical Fiction
- Topics : Friendship , History
- Character Strengths : Courage , Perseverance
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Nancy Paulsen Books
- Publication date : February 6, 2024
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 10 - 13
- Number of pages : 258
- Available on : Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, Apple Books, Kindle
- Awards : ALA Best and Notable Books , Common Sense Selection , Newbery Medal and Honors
- Last updated : January 28, 2026
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