Sleeping with the Light on - Hardcover
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Historical Children's Novel Set in 1950s Guatemala
Life in Guatemala City transforms dramatically for young Davico and his older brother Felipe when soldiers invade their streets and nightly blackouts begin. This historical fiction novel captures a pivotal moment in Guatemalan history through the eyes of a child living above his family's restaurant, La Casita.
A Story of Family, Courage, and Change
Davico's world revolves around La Casita, the family restaurant in Guatemala City during the early 1950s. Daily life brings adventures with Augusto the mean cook and Otto the perpetually late waiter, who delight in playing tricks on young Davico. His older brother Felipe demonstrates bravery by lighting the massive oven, stretching to reach the matchbox above the stove. The restaurant's glass tank houses live lobsters, including the imposing Genghis Khan, whose unblinking stare captivates Davico's imagination.
The narrative shifts when gunfire erupts in the streets. Blackouts force the family to sleep beneath the large wooden table in the dining room. Customers stop visiting the restaurant as tanks and soldiers surround the National Palace. A shoeshine boy delivers an ominous warning about the gringos coming, leaving Davico confused and frightened about what this means for his family.
Historical Context for Young Readers
This novel provides age-appropriate insight into Guatemala's political upheaval during the 1950s, making complex historical events accessible to readers ages 9-12. The story follows Davico's struggle to maintain courage amid shooting, military tanks, and aircraft overhead. His father purchases a special lamp to help him endure the blackouts, but even this comfort cannot ease the anxiety when his parents announce their departure for the United States, where Spanish isn't spoken and everything feels foreign.
Award-Winning Author and Illustrator
David Unger, recipient of Guatemala's Miguel Ángel Asturias National Prize in Literature (2014), brings authentic cultural perspective to this narrative. Carlos Vélez Aguilera's illustrations enhance the storytelling, having illustrated over twenty children's books and earned recognition from the International Children's and Youth Book Fair in Mexico.
Educational Value
The book includes illustrations that complement the narrative and correlates to Common Core State Standards in English Language Arts (CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.3.7), helping students understand how visual elements contribute to mood and character development in literature.
Life in Guatemala is simple for young Davico and his older brother Felipe ... until soldiers invade, and the blackouts begin.
Davico lives with his family above La Casita -- the Little House -- in Guatemala City in the early 1950s. But it's not just a little house. It's also the family restaurant!
The restaurant provides plenty of distraction and adventure for Davico and his older brother, Felipe. The mean cook, Augusto, and the always-late waiter, Otto, love to play tricks on Davico. There's a huge oven that Felipe knows how to light -- if he can only reach the box of matches above the stove. And don't forget the glass tank of live lobsters -- including the king of them all, Genghis Khan, who stares at Davico with round unblinking eyes. Could Genghis Khan climb on the back of the other lobsters and get out of the tank, Davico wonders. Could he move faster on land than in the water?
Then one day, Davico hears shooting in the streets. There are blackouts every evening, and the family must sleep under the big wooden table in the dining room. People stop coming to the restaurant, and tanks and soldiers swarm the front of the National Palace, where a shoeshine boy warns the brothers that the gringos are coming.
But what does that mean, and who are the gringos?
Davico wants to be brave, but the shooting and tanks and airplanes flying overhead terrify him. He finds comfort in the special lamp that his father buys him to endure the blackouts. But it is not enough to console Davico when his parents announce that it's time to leave for the United States of America, where no one speaks Spanish, and everything is different.
Key Text Features
Illustrations
Correlates to the Common Core State Standards in English Language Arts:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.3.7
Explain how specific aspects of a text's illustrations contribute to what is conveyed by the words in a story (e.g., create mood, emphasize aspects of a character or setting)
David Unger is an award-winning translator and author born in Guatemala. In 2014 he was awarded Guatemala's highest literary prize, the Miguel Ángel Asturias National Prize in Literature. He is the US representative for the Guadalajara Book Fair, and teaches at City College in New York City.
Aguilera, Carlos Vélez: -Carlos Vélez Aguilera is an editorial illustrator and comics artist who has illustrated more than twenty children's books, and is the author-illustrator of the graphic novel Salón Destino. He has been recognized with two illustration awards in the catalogue for the International Children's and Youth Book Fair in Mexico. Carlos lives in Mexico City.
Contributor(s)
Author
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Historical Children's Novel Set in 1950s Guatemala
Life in Guatemala City transforms dramatically for young Davico and his older brother Felipe when soldiers invade their streets and nightly blackouts begin. This historical fiction novel captures a pivotal moment in Guatemalan history through the eyes of a child living above his family's restaurant, La Casita.
A Story of Family, Courage, and Change
Davico's world revolves around La Casita, the family restaurant in Guatemala City during the early 1950s. Daily life brings adventures with Augusto the mean cook and Otto the perpetually late waiter, who delight in playing tricks on young Davico. His older brother Felipe demonstrates bravery by lighting the massive oven, stretching to reach the matchbox above the stove. The restaurant's glass tank houses live lobsters, including the imposing Genghis Khan, whose unblinking stare captivates Davico's imagination.
The narrative shifts when gunfire erupts in the streets. Blackouts force the family to sleep beneath the large wooden table in the dining room. Customers stop visiting the restaurant as tanks and soldiers surround the National Palace. A shoeshine boy delivers an ominous warning about the gringos coming, leaving Davico confused and frightened about what this means for his family.
Historical Context for Young Readers
This novel provides age-appropriate insight into Guatemala's political upheaval during the 1950s, making complex historical events accessible to readers ages 9-12. The story follows Davico's struggle to maintain courage amid shooting, military tanks, and aircraft overhead. His father purchases a special lamp to help him endure the blackouts, but even this comfort cannot ease the anxiety when his parents announce their departure for the United States, where Spanish isn't spoken and everything feels foreign.
Award-Winning Author and Illustrator
David Unger, recipient of Guatemala's Miguel Ángel Asturias National Prize in Literature (2014), brings authentic cultural perspective to this narrative. Carlos Vélez Aguilera's illustrations enhance the storytelling, having illustrated over twenty children's books and earned recognition from the International Children's and Youth Book Fair in Mexico.
Educational Value
The book includes illustrations that complement the narrative and correlates to Common Core State Standards in English Language Arts (CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.3.7), helping students understand how visual elements contribute to mood and character development in literature.
Life in Guatemala is simple for young Davico and his older brother Felipe ... until soldiers invade, and the blackouts begin.
Davico lives with his family above La Casita -- the Little House -- in Guatemala City in the early 1950s. But it's not just a little house. It's also the family restaurant!
The restaurant provides plenty of distraction and adventure for Davico and his older brother, Felipe. The mean cook, Augusto, and the always-late waiter, Otto, love to play tricks on Davico. There's a huge oven that Felipe knows how to light -- if he can only reach the box of matches above the stove. And don't forget the glass tank of live lobsters -- including the king of them all, Genghis Khan, who stares at Davico with round unblinking eyes. Could Genghis Khan climb on the back of the other lobsters and get out of the tank, Davico wonders. Could he move faster on land than in the water?
Then one day, Davico hears shooting in the streets. There are blackouts every evening, and the family must sleep under the big wooden table in the dining room. People stop coming to the restaurant, and tanks and soldiers swarm the front of the National Palace, where a shoeshine boy warns the brothers that the gringos are coming.
But what does that mean, and who are the gringos?
Davico wants to be brave, but the shooting and tanks and airplanes flying overhead terrify him. He finds comfort in the special lamp that his father buys him to endure the blackouts. But it is not enough to console Davico when his parents announce that it's time to leave for the United States of America, where no one speaks Spanish, and everything is different.
Key Text Features
Illustrations
Correlates to the Common Core State Standards in English Language Arts:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.3.7
Explain how specific aspects of a text's illustrations contribute to what is conveyed by the words in a story (e.g., create mood, emphasize aspects of a character or setting)
David Unger is an award-winning translator and author born in Guatemala. In 2014 he was awarded Guatemala's highest literary prize, the Miguel Ángel Asturias National Prize in Literature. He is the US representative for the Guadalajara Book Fair, and teaches at City College in New York City.
Aguilera, Carlos Vélez: -Carlos Vélez Aguilera is an editorial illustrator and comics artist who has illustrated more than twenty children's books, and is the author-illustrator of the graphic novel Salón Destino. He has been recognized with two illustration awards in the catalogue for the International Children's and Youth Book Fair in Mexico. Carlos lives in Mexico City.
Contributor(s)
Author