When Life Gives You Mangos

When Life Gives You Mangos

Named to Oprah Magazine's Best Caribbean Books for Your 2021 reading list, imagination and adventure run wild in the most talked about middle grade debut of the year!      A small village on a Jamaican island.  A girl who doesn't remember the previous summer.  A best friend who is no longer acting like one; a new girl who fills that hole in her heart.  A summer of finding fallen mangos, creating made up games and dancing in the rain.  Secrets she keeps from others...and herself. The courage to face the truth even in the toughest of storms.    Inspired by the author's childhood experiences,  When Life Give You Mangos  is a celebration of island life as well as a rich, lyrical mystery.      Read it...and don't spoil the unforgettable ending!  A recommended read for classroom discussons and educators looking for diverse offerings.  "A heartfelt and accessible debut about friendship, memory, and forgiveness." —Tae Keller, author of Newbery Medal winner  When You Trap a Tiger "A wonderful story with great heart, mystery, and insight. Kereen Getten is a bright new voice." —Clare Vanderpool, author of Newbery Medal winner  Moon Over Manifest  and Printz Honor book  Navigating Early  "A heartwarming yet suspenseful debut about the strength of family, the turmoil of friendships lost and found, and most importantly, remembering who you are." —Lynne Kelly, author of the Schneider award winner  Song for a Whale   "A heartfelt and accessible debut about friendship, memory, and forgiveness." —Tae Keller, author of Newbery Medal winner  When You Trap a Tiger " When Life Gives You Mangos is a wonderful story with great heart, mystery, and insight. What a treat to walk alongside Clara in her vibrant Jamaican home, through the peaks and valleys of the human experience—heartache and joy, alienation and deep friendship, regret and redemption. Clara is the girl we all wish was our best friend—honest, spirited, and real. Kereen Getten is a bright new voice. Her writing strikes the perfect balance of beauty, depth, and a touch of mango!" —Clare Vanderpool, author of Newbery Medal winner Moon Over Manifest and Printz Honor book Navigating Early  "A heartwarming yet suspenseful debut about the strength of family, the turmoil of friendships lost and found, and most importantly, remembering who you are." —Lynne Kelly, author of the Schneider Award winner  Song for a Whale     “Getten’s handling of potentially tough topics like family, disability, and religion is spot-on, weaving important discussions into an adventurous, summery plot that just keeps going." — SLJ , starred review “Getten lures readers in. Readers occupy pretty much the same position as the island kids, puzzling over clues and gossip but unable to pry out the truth.” — The Bulletin, Starred Review “A touching novel about letting go of the past and moving on.” — Kirkus Reviews “Deft storytelling and an authentic rendering of a child’s voice make this a promising debut.” — The Horn Book Kereen Getten grew up in Jamaica where she would climb fruit trees in the family garden and eat as much mango, guinep and pear as she could without being caught. She now lives in Birmingham with her family and writes stories about her childhood experiences. When Life Gives You Mangos is her debut novel. Visit her on Twitter @kereengetten or on Instagram @Kezywrites. There is a new girl arriving in Sycamore. Her hair is in two Afro buns with big white bows, and she is wearing cat’s-eye sunglasses, like a celebrity. That’s according to Gaynah. I haven’t seen her yet, but Gaynah says she saw her get off the city bus by the traffic circle with a woman that looked like her mother, and they are heading up the hill.   The entire village is buzzing. This is the most excitement we have ever had, and no one wants to miss seeing it for themselves. Within minutes all the kids are gathered at the edge of the road, waiting for the new girl. Everyone is speculating on why she is here and what might be wrong with her.   New people don’t come to Sycamore. Not since the witch-­doctor episode. The last time someone new came here, it was two tourists with video cameras. They were driving to the Bob Marley museum and got lost. But we suspect they were some of the die-­hard fans who were desperate to meet Eldorath, my uncle, the man who saw ghosts.   It’s the story that brought shame and fear on the community. Pastor Brown was the most vocal. He said any man who claims to see ghosts is not a godly man, that my uncle was inviting evil to our community. So Eldorath was given a new name: the witch doctor.   Tourists thought differently. My uncle was a tourist attraction. They wanted to see him, ask him if he could see their mother, their father, their best friend who had passed. Uncle Eldorath wasn’t easy to find, though; his house was way up on the hill, and he rarely left it. Pastor Brown told us to never give anyone directions.    When they couldn’t find him, they gav