A sudden change in summer plans has Little Eddie, 11, traveling to Cartagena, Colombia, where his late dad was from, to visit his half-brother. Big Eddie, 18, is caring for his ailing maternal grandmother, who wants to meet Little Eddie. Thinking of the end-of-summer fishing contest back home in Minnesota, Little Eddie hopes Big Eddie will teach him how to fish, like their father once taught him. Little Eddie barely remembers their dad, but knows he once entered the contest, too. But Big Eddie is resistant to fishing and preoccupied with caring for Abuela, who raised him after his mother's death. Abuela, for her part, calls Little Eddie "Tito" and shares stories about his dad when he courted and married her daughter. She also helps him understand and experience the beauty and magic of Colombia. After Abuela's death, Big Eddie accompanies Little Eddie back to Minnesota. Little Eddie still hopes his brother will teach him how to fish in time for the contest, but Big Eddie is moody and withdrawn. He's grieving, Little Eddie's mom, who is white, explains. Still, it hurts. So does the behavior of Little Eddie's friend Cameron, who seems to have gone from a girl unafraid of being her singular self to follower of a trio of racist siblings who taunt him. A captivating narrative voice, deftly managed plot, and complex characters propel a story exploring identity, grief, loss, friendship, and, above all, love and family. (Ages 9-12)

A whimsical and unflinchingly honest generational story of family and identity where hats turn into leeches, ghosts blow kisses from lemon trees, and the things you find at the end of your fishing line might not be a fish at all.

Half-Colombian Eddie Aguado has never really felt Colombian. Especially after Papa died. And since Mama keeps her memories of Papa locked up where Eddie can’t get to them, he only has Papa’s third-place fishing tournament medal to remember him by. He’ll have to figure out how to be more Colombian on his own.

As if by magic, the perfect opportunity arises. Eddie—who’s never left Minnesota—is invited to spend the summer in Colombia with his older half-brother. But as his adventure unfolds, he feels more and more like a fish out of water.

Figuring out how to be a true colombiano might be more difficult than he thought.