Dear Reader,

I hope you enjoy reading my book, THE RED UMBRELLA.  I wrote this book because it wasn’t only a piece of American history, it was part of my own family history!  My parents were part of the more than 14,000 Cuban kids who were sent by themselves to the U.S.  from 1960-1962 in what came to be known as Operation Pedro Pan.  Yet, even though so many kids were part of Operation Pedro Pan, not much had been written about it…I wanted to change that.

Writing and researching THE RED UMBRELLA was a lot of fun because I was able to learn more about my own family history, but you have a story to share, too!  Every family has their own story to tell and who better to write about it than you?  Yours could be a story about how your family came to the U.S. or it could be a tale about a family member who fought valiantly during a war or it could be someone in your family who is known for making the best apple pie in the whole wide world! Really, each family has their own unique stories and it’s up to you to ask questions and listen.   Parents and grandparents are a great place to begin, but don’t forget to ask other people in your family, too!  Soon you’ll have your own book of family history ready to share with others.

The main thing to remember is to have fun listening, writing, and reading your stories!

All my best,

Christina

Click HERE to download and share Christina’s letter with students!