Common Sense Media Review
By Joanna H. Kraus
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Moving story of Chilean girl's escape from a dictatorship.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 10+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
What's the Story?
Sixth-grader Celeste loves her home, family, school, and friends until her country, Chile, is taken over by the military dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet. People suddenly vanish; her doctor parents, who run a clinic for the poor, are called "subversive" and must hide. She's sent thousands of miles away to an aunt in Maine, where she must adjust to a different climate, culture, and language. Two years later, she returns as a young teen to a tattered nation after the dictatorship has ended but the country is still dangerous. Will she ever see her parents again? Determined, she sets out to find them and help her country heal its devastating wounds.
Is It Any Good?
I LIVED ON BUTTERFLY HILL is a moving story that needs to be told. It's written with a poet's sensitivity and compassion for those who suffered under Pinochet's totalitarian regime. The novel centers on one family yet gives voice to a country striving to heal, to the idea of solidarity, and to the hopes and dreams of one teen who makes a difference.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the role of the media in influencing public opinion. How does a dictatorship influence news coverage to control public opinion? What purpose does that serve for a totalitarian government?
How does historical fiction help you understand historical events? Does having the story narrated by Celia help you understand her world and what she's going through?
Read some of Pablo Neruda's poetry aloud with a friend and pick a favorite. Then tell each other why you chose the poem you did.
Book Details
- Author :
- Illustrator : Lee White
- Genre : Historical Fiction
- Topics : Friendship , History
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Atheneum
- Publication date : March 4, 2014
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 10 - 14
- Number of pages : 454
- Available on : Paperback, Nook, Hardback, Apple Books, Kindle
- Awards : ALA Best and Notable Books , Pura Belpré Awards and Honors
- Last updated : October 1, 2025
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