Very well written. Reminded me of the Pearl by John Steinbeck. Lot of imagery. ( )

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My 5th grad class chose for me to read this book aloud using an anonymous vote. After I finished reading it today, they rated it and provided comments.

"3.3" was actually the average of their votes.
Some comments:

1*: "I didn't understand most of it.", "I think the characters were silly."
2*: "It was boring.", "I wasn't so intrigued by the story."
3*: "It was ok, but I was confused."
4*: " There was so much detail!", "The story was very original, like none I've heard before. the struggles of the boy, you could feel them when read."
5*: "I enjoyed how it wasn't just 'cliche'..oh everyone lived happily ever after. It was semi-realistic as well." ( )

Ramon Salazar works for his father, a pearl fisherman and dealer, but is always working in the shop instead of out fishing for pearls with the men. He longs to be a pearl diver. He heads off on his own one day to fish in a secluded lagoon and finds the ultimate pearl, smoky black, perfectly round, and enormous. The Pearl of Heaven however, seems to come only at a dear price for he who finds it.
Reminiscent of John Steinbeck. ( )

From the depths of a cave in the Vermilion Sea, Ramon Salazar has wrested a black pearl so lustrous and captivating that his father, an expert pearl dealer, is certain Ramon has found the legendary Pearl of Heaven. Such a treasure is sure to bring great joy to the villagers of their tiny coastal town, and even greater renown to the Salazar name. No diver, not even the swaggering Gaspar Ruiz, has ever found a pearl like this!

But is there a price to pay for a prize so great? When a terrible tragedy strikes the village, old Luzon’s warning about El Diablo returns to haunt Ramon. If El Diablo actually exists, it will take all Ramon’s courage to face the winged creature waiting for him offshore. (Amazon) Kari recommended in author presentation