LibGuides: Grade 6 Historical Fiction Research: Cuban Revolution

Non-fiction from our library collection

Look out for these keywords

Cuban revolution
Fidel Castro (revolutionary leader)
Che Guevara (revolutionary leader)
Mariel boat lift (people left Cuba in small boats)

Cuba in Pictures by Kumari Campbell
Call Number: 972.9106 CAM
ISBN: 0822511673
Publication Date: 2005
Look for the section on the Cuban Revolution.
Leaving Glorytown by Eduardo F. Calcines
Call Number: 921 Calcines
ISBN: 0374343942
Publication Date: 2009
The author reflects on his childhood growing up in 1960s Cuba, discussing how his family was treated for applying for an exit visa to the United States, his fears of being drafted into the Army, the conditions of his poor neighborhood, and more.
Fidel Castro by Adam Woog
Call Number: 921 Castro
ISBN: 1590182316
Publication Date: 2003
Profiles the life of the Cuban leader, including his upbringing, his education, his political influences, his role in the Cuban revolution, and his government of the island nation.

Useful database articles

Cuba on Britannica Online
The link will take you straight to the history section of the article on Cuba in Britannica. Scroll down to find information about the revolution and Cuba today.

Citations can be copied and pasted. Look for the checkmark icon at the top of the article page.
Fidel Castro on Britannica Online
This article talks about the life of Fidel Castro, the leader of the Cuban Revolution.
Marielitos on BrainPop
The Marielitos were a very large group of people who escaped from Cuba in small boats in 1980.

This section is in a larger article about Hispanic Americans in the United States.
Castro and the Cuban Revolution on the History Channel site
To cite a video, use this format:
“Movie Topic.” History.com. Date Viewed. < URL OF MOVIE >
The Mariel Boat Lift on the History Channel
The last bit of "This Day in History" is about the Mariel Boat Lift, when thousands of Cubans left Cuba by boat.

“Movie Topic.” History.com. Date Viewed. < URL OF MOVIE >

Picture books from the library collection

These are 2 picture books set in Cuba in our ES library. Only the first one is historical. The second one is a folk tale told in Cuba and many Latin American countries.

Drum Dream Girl by Margarita Engle; Rafael López (Illustrator)
Call Number: PIC Engle
ISBN: 9780544102293
Publication Date: 2015
Follows a girl in the 1920s as she strives to become a drummer, despite being continually reminded that only boys play the drums, and that there has never been a female drummer in Cuba. Includes note about Millo Castro Zaldarriaga, who inspired the story, and Anacaona, the all-girl dance band she formed with her sisters.
Mama Does the Mambo by C. Z. Guest
Call Number: PIC Guest
ISBN: 0786825332
Publication Date: 2001-09-15
Following the death of her Papa, Sophia fears that her Mama will never find another dancing partner for Carnival.