Common Sense Media Review
By Lucinda Dyer
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Captivating coming-of-age memoir during Cuban Revolution.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 8+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
HOW TO SAY GOODBYE IN CUBAN begins in 1956. Carlos is living with his parents, a brother, and two sisters in a rural community in Cuba. He has a best friend named Álvaro and lives just down the road from his abuelos' (grandparents) sugar cane farm. But life is about to change for Carlos and his family. His father has won the lottery and the family will be moving to the city so his father can start a furniture making business. Carlos is now the new kid in school, teased by his classmates because he comes from the countryside. As the family starts their new lives, rebels led by Fidel Castro are fighting to overthrow the Cuban government. Daily life becomes filled with fear, as neighbors begin spying on neighbors. The police arrive and tell Carlos' father (at gunpoint) that they're taking his business. When Carlos' father leaves for what becomes a yearlong "fishing trip," neighbors and classmates become suspicious, and a classmate calls his father a traitor. When his father does return, it's with a dangerous plan to take the family to safety in America.
Is It Any Good?
Vivid and powerful illustrations bring history alive in this compelling retelling of a true story filled with family drama, suspense, and a daring escape. How to Say Goodbye in Cuban and its backdrop of the Cuban Revolution in the 1950s may seem an unlikely choice for a young readers novel. But the challenges faced by Carlos—moving away from his best friend and grandparents, starting a new school, and a complicated relationship with a parent—should be relatable to almost any 21st century tween reader.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the courage it took for characters in How to Say Goodbye in Cuban to make the difficult and dangerous decision to risk their lives fleeing the country. Have you or anyone you know immigrated to where you live? What's the story?
Have you ever been the new kid in school or on a team? Was it difficult to fit in and make new friends?
What do you know about where (and who) you come from? How do family members or close friends influence who you are as a person?
Book Details
- Author :
- Illustrator : Daniel Miyares
- Genre : Graphic Novel
- Topics : Family Stories , History
- Character Strengths : Courage
- Book type : Non-Fiction
- Publisher : Anne Schwartz Books
- Publication date : September 30, 2025
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 8 - 12
- Number of pages : 240
- Available on : Paperback, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, Apple Books, Kindle
- Award : Common Sense Selection
- Last updated : December 12, 2025
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