Sometimes you have no control over what will happen next, as I discovered the year I was twelve years old. . .
Ana Rosa is a blossoming young writer growing up in a poor seaside village in the Dominican Republic. At twelve, she finds herself faced with turning points that will make up who she is--watching her brother's search for a future, learning to dance and to love, and finding out what it means to be a part of a community.
But in a country where words are feared, Ana Rosa must struggle to find her own voice and the means for it to be heard. Gradually she learns that her words have the power to transform the world around her-celebrating what is most beautiful on her island and transcending even the most unthinkable of tragedies.
This debut novel from poet Lynn Joseph is a lush and lyrical journey into the landscape and culture of the Dominican Republic. The Color of My Words explores the pain and the poetry behind what it means to be part of a family, what it takes to find your place in the world-and what it feels like to write it all down. Books for the Teen Age 2001 (NYPL), Notable Children's Trade Books in the Field of Social Studies 2001, National Council for SS &amp; Child. Book Council, 2001 Notable Children's Books (ALA), Top 10 Youth First Novels (Booklist), and Children's Books 2000-NY Public Lib.

The Color of My Words

Children's Books

Joseph, Lynn

Growing Up & Facts of Life

Harpercollins

Literature & Fiction

Just about everyone from my country, República Dominicana, dreams of moving to New York City, except for me. On the flight to New York, my first time on a plane, my first time away from Mami, I was finally free to cry. But nothing came out. I watched as the green mountains of my beloved island slipped away far below.
Fifteen-year-old Nina Perez is faced with a future she never expected. She must leave her Garden of Eden, her lush island home in Samana, Dominican Republic, when she's sent by her mother to live with her brother, Darrio, in New York, to seek out a better life. As Nina searches for some glimpse of familiarity amid the urban and jarring world of Washington Heights, she learns to uncover her own strength and independence. She finds a way to grow, just like the orchids that blossom on her fire escape. And as she is confronted by ugly secrets about her brother's business, she comes to understand the realities of life in this new place. But then she meets him—that tall, green-eyed boy—one that she can't erase from her thoughts, who just might help her learn to see beauty in spite of tragedy.
From the acclaimed author of the color of my words comes a powerful story of a girl who must make her way in a new world and find her place within it.

Flowers in the Sky

United States

HarperTeen

Américas Award Winner
“An achingly beautiful story.”—Kirkus (starred review) “Eloquent.”—Booklist (starred review) “Lovely and lyrical.”—School Library Journal
This powerful and resonant Américas Award-winning novel tells the story of a young girl’s struggle to find her place in the world and to become a writer in a country where words are feared.
Seamlessly interweaving both poetry and prose, Lynn Joseph’s acclaimed debut is a lush and lyrical journey into a landscape and culture of the Dominican Republic.
The Color of My Words explores the pain and poetry of discovering what it means to be part of a family, what it takes to find your voice and the means for it to be heard, and how it feels to write it all down.

A collection of poems depicting the sights and sounds of the Caribbean islands

Coconut Kind of Day: Island Poems (Picture Puffins Series)

Puffin Books

On the island of Trinidad, Tantie tells the children six stories, some originating in the countries of West Africa, some in Trinidad, and some in her own imagination.

A Wave in Her Pocket: Stories from Trinidad

Clarion Books

As Christmas approaches, Rosie helps her mother and Tantie prepare black-currant cake, sorrel drink, and soursoup ice cream; finishes making her gifts for everyone; and decorates the tree.

An Island Christmas

Holidays & Celebrations

Chosen by Tantie to be the family's next storyteller, Amber waits for a story to come to her (it does) as she listens to stories told by others, stories about mischievous spirits, ghosts, and uncanny fates.

The Mermaid's Twin Sister: More Stories from Trinidad

Vivid pastel drawings display the excitement of the carnival as Lily desperately wishes she was the one to participate in the Children's Carnival wearing the beautiful hummingbird costume instead of her sister.

Jump Up Time: A Trinidad Carnival Story

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Joseph, Lynn. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Joseph, Lynn

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Joseph, Lynn. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

The Color of My Words

The Color of My Words

Flowers in the Sky

The Color of My Words

Coconut Kind of Day: Island Poems (Picture Puffins Series)

A Wave in Her Pocket: Stories from Trinidad

An Island Christmas

The Mermaid's Twin Sister: More Stories from Trinidad

Jump Up Time: A Trinidad Carnival Story

A Wave in Her Pocket: Stories from Trinidad