Bound To Stay Bound

Booklist - 03/01/2021 In this beautiful, haunting poetry collection—dedicated to the child victims of Pinochet’s Chilean regime, established in 1973—each of 33 poems focuses on a different child: Alicia, who never celebrated another birthday but who could have loved balloons; Francisco, who loved to read; Jessica, Marcela, and Orlando, who enjoyed animals and insects. The short, heartbreaking poems bring to the surface the simple joys of life that these kids experienced for too brief a time, reflecting not only on the many possibilities of which they were robbed but also the acute way children have of noticing everything—the changes in a tree, the brightness of the sun, the different sounds raindrops make. At the end, the names and ages of all 33 children are listed, along with a poem dedicated to one child found alive. The soft, muted illustrations show the beauty of the world as seen through their eyes, tinged with the sadness of something lost, imploring readers never to allow children to go through this experience again. - Copyright 2021 Booklist.

School Library Journal - 04/01/2021 Gr 3 Up—On September 11, 1973, a military coup in Chile led to a 17-year dictatorship. A haunting introduction explains that 3,197 people were killed during this time and 34 were children under the age of 14. Ferrada and Valdez provide an homage to childhood and life that gives a voice to the deceased children. Each poem is titled with the name of a child who was killed during General Pinochet's regime, and every child's full name and age are listed in the back matter. Ferrada's language and choice of form—free verse translated from the original Spanish—flows well and captures the personalities of the featured children. Poems for the children who died very young are sweet and short. For example, five-month-old Raúl liked the sound of his mother calling him "little bird." The natural world is a common thread, enhancing the sense of wonder, curiosity, creativity, and inventiveness of childhood. The repetition of the theme also connects the experiences of these children to those around the world. The mixed-media art uses watercolor, pastel, charcoal, and colored pencils to create a soft and dreamlike palette. White space is incorporated well and allows the poems to shine. VERDICT A heartfelt volume emphasizing innocence in the face of continuing political violence, this #OwnVoices work is a must-purchase for poetry collections serving young patrons.—Rachel Zuffa, Case H.S., Racine, WI - Copyright 2021 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.