Letters in Charcoal

In the pueblo of Palenque, hardly anybody knows how to read. Curious about the letters her older sister Gina receives from a young doctor each month — letters that she is sure contain promises of love — one young girl makes a decision that will change her life, and the lives of every child in the pueblo, forever. With the help of Señor Velandia, the owner of the village shop, she will slowly unlock the letters of the alphabet and discover the magic of reading. And soon she will make a discovery that is more miraculous still — that letters are literally all around her . . .

Carnegie Medal for Illustration Nomination 2025
USBBY Outstanding International Book 2024
Featured in the New York Times 2023
Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection 2023
The School Reading List — Best Children’s Books coming out in Autumn 2023