  | Benny Ramirez and the nearly departed Author: Iriarte, Jose Pablo | |
| Price: $22.58 | ||
Summary:
Twelve-year-old Cuban American Benny must help the ghost of his rich, famous, and morally bankrupt musician grandfather cross over to the other side before the New Year's Eve deadline.
| Accelerated Reader Information: Interest Level: MG Reading Level: 4.90 Points: 9.0 Quiz: 553461 |
Reviews:
Kirkus Reviews (03/01/24)
School Library Journal (00/03/24)
Booklist (02/15/24)
Full Text Reviews:
Booklist - 02/15/2024 Benny and the rest of his Cuban American family inherit his grandfather's home in Miami soon after his death, so they make the cross-country move from L.A. to start a new life in sunny south Florida. Benny has two siblings who are both talented in the arts and parents who scored positions at a local arts school, but he doesn't have any particular artistic talent. When they start to settle into their new home, Benny discovers he is able to see and speak with Abuelo's ghost and everything changes. This book is at once sweet and funny, and the author does a great job of showing a family dynamic in which everyone is happy for one another and everyone can be a winner or a star. Latine readers may catch some references to Cuban artists in the story, which is richly fleshed out to showcase Miami life and culture. Benny's first-person perspective as a middle-school student provides a lens through which young readers can enjoy a taste of Miami. - Copyright 2024 Booklist.
