Aventura en la ciudad de las historias (Adventure in the City of Stories) (Cousins in the Time of Magic)

by Emma Otheguy, Emily Carrero Mustelier (Translator), Poly Bernatene (Illustrator)

¡Nuestro trío favorito de viajeros en el tiempo está de vuelta! Cuando artefactos robados aparecen mágicamente en el armario de su tía, Jorge, Camila y Siggy deben viajar a la ciudad de Nueva York de 1930 para limpiar su nombre antes de que la historia se altere de manera irreparable.

Los primos Jorge, Camila y Siggy nunca imaginaron que unos viejos y polvorientos títeres y un libro misterioso los llevarían en una aventura a través del tiempo. Todo comienza al descubrir que su tía posee tesoros que pertenecieron a Pura Belpré, la innovadora bibliotecaria y cuenta cuentos latina y, de repente, viajan la ciudad de Nueva York en los años 30. ¿Su misión? Apresurarse a devolver los títeres de Pura y una edición firmada de su primer libro, para demostrar que su tía no es una ladrona.

Pero el pasado está repleto de peligros. Una mujer poderosa hará todo lo posible para robar el libro, los vecinos entrometidos de los primos chismosearán y la escasez de la Gran Depresión los acecha. Por suerte Jorge, Camila y Siggy conocen a Antonia, una valiente niña puertorriqueña que lucha contra la injusticia en su comunidad.

Los primos necesitarán coraje, ingenio y un poquito de ayuda histórica para proteger el legado de Pura Belpré, limpiar el nombre de su tía y regresar a casa. ¿Podrán lograrlo antes de que se les acabe el tiempo?

208 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 21, 2026

Reviews

[Brian]

Thank you to the author for graciously lending me a galley of this book. It lived up to the first book and more. Great mix of fantasy and historical fiction. I can’t wait for more in this series!

For context, I am an elementary school (K-6) Library Media Specialist.

[Heidi]

Representation matters- especially in speculative fiction, which we need more of featuring diverse and multicultural characters. Cooper reminded me of Bugs Meany from the Encyclopedia Brown books!

[Doreen]

7/19/2026 I love the idea but the execution is so frustrating to me as an adult reader. Which doesn't make this bad, but like many childhood classics (e.g. Cooper's The Dark Is Rising, L'Engle's A Wrinkle In Time) makes it hard to love as someone who is not the target audience. And that's fine: not everyone loves everything! Full review tk at TheFrumiousConsortium.net.

7/20/2026 This sequel to Cousins In The Time Of Magic finds our three young protagonists Siggy, Camilla and Jorge heading back in time for an even more personal reason than in the first book. Camilla is already having a terrible day after being humiliated at her Florida school by the principal, for the crime of bringing in books in Spanish for her new friend Marisol. The books were sent home for being "about race", which is essentially code for not centering mainstream white American culture.

To cheer her up, Jorge pulls out a book and some puppets he'd found while looking for the good snacks at their Tia Xia's house. They decide to bring them over to Marisol's but are waylaid by neighborhood bully Cooper Tumbor. The cousins flee into Tia Xia's tinajon to hide from him but wind up having to set sail with a pursuing Siggy across the seas of time to 1930s New York City.

Turns out that the book and puppets are actually important artifacts created by the legendary librarian Pura Belpre. Tia Xia found them in the same way that she found the jeweled sword they'd returned in their last time travel adventure. Trouble is, these artifacts have recently gone missing from the New York Public Library, and if they're not returned fast, Tia Xia could go to jail. As the kids try to figure out how to navigate the Great Depression, Tia Xia comes into the past, too. Will they be able to put the artifacts somewhere secure enough to be found almost a century in the future?

The issues the kids encounter with the horrible (fictional) Wilsons in the 1930s are a great illustration of the way that Latines and other minorities have both historically and currently face prejudice from white supremacists in this country (NB: you don't have to be white to be a white supremacist, and OBVIOUSLY you're not automatically a supremacist for being white.) The experience of people of color during the Great Depression is often overlooked today: I honestly only recognized Pura Belpre and Arturo Schomburg by name before reading about them here, and had no idea of their actual and amazing contributions to American literacy and history. This series is invaluable for bringing the past to life and highlighting details that aren't as widely known to mainstream culture. They're a 10/10 for introducing kids and other interested readers to the historical figures and incidents that they detail.

Unfortunately for me, this book also magnified some of the weaknesses of its predecessor in the series. Again, it felt like the action was being written around plot points that absolutely had to happen, with characters doing daft things solely to bring them from one scenario the author wanted to write about to the next. This may not bother young readers, but it made the experience far less pleasant for me as an adult. And that's okay! As a child, I was enthralled by genre classics like Madeleine L'Engle's A Wrinkle In Time and Susan Cooper's The Dark Is Rising series, both of which have been completely unreadable to me since I turned twenty-five. So while I may not be the target audience for these books, they are really worthwhile in the way that they impart knowledge to their actual target audience. I'm just pleased I could learn important stuff regardless about a past that continues to be extremely and unfortunately relevant today. Perhaps more importantly, this book reminded me that while the struggle continues, progress is assured so long as we keep the faith in a better world for everyone, no matter what we look like or where we come from.

Adventure In The City Of Stories by Emma Otheguy will be published tomorrow July 21 2026 by Atheneum Books for Young Readers and is available from all good booksellers, including Bookshop!

[Ms. Yingling]

ARC provided by Young Adult Books Central

After our Cousins in the Time of Magic return to Miami following their time travel adventures to Virginia in 1862 and the Battle of Puebla, they once again get into trouble at their Tía Xía's house. Camila, Jorge, and Siggy find puppets and a signed, antique book in their aunt's cupboard, but end up jumping through a magical tinajón and leave the objects at the Mar del Tiempo when trying to escape from the bully, Cooper. Camila has had a rough day already; she's brought Spanish language books to school to share with her friend Marisol only to have the principal tell her they were inappropriate and could not be brought! Not only that, but he's sent a letter home to everyone about not bringing such books to school. After finding out that the book was signed by the famous poet Gabriela Mistral, and that the puppets belonged to author and librarian Pura Belpré, there's a huge problem. Tía Xía, who runs the Latin History Museum, found them in a closet, but now insurance investigators are looking for the relics. Unfortunately, continued scuffles end up with Cooper having the puppet Perez, and the children and the puppet Martina traveling back in time to New York City in the 1930s. The puppets serve as a kind of walkie talkie, and the children can communicate across the years from time to time. In the city, they try to get information from Anne Carrol Moore at the New York Public Library, but are overheard by Eva Wilson. Mrs. Wilson is the wife of a horrible employer, and she is very vocal about how there should be no books published in Spanish when it's so hard for any books to be published. The children find out where Pura Belpré works, but also run into Antonia, whose father works for Mrs. Wilson. Mrs. Wilson threatens Antonia that if she doesn't turn in the Time travelers, Mr. Wilson will fire her father, especially since Antonia has written an essay about the poor working conditions. The children also meet Gabriela Mistral when they duck into her apartment to escape being caught! A talking doll named Nicholas gives them a note from Tía Xía, who has arrived in the 1930s and is staying in Harlem with Arthur Schomberg. The whole adventure is fraught with anxiety as Mrs. Wilson steals the book and calls the police, and it looks like the puppets won't be able to be hidden away. Luckily, Antonia's Puerto Rican family is very welcoming and allows the present day visitors to stay with them in the 1930s. Things become even worse when the group makes sure that Antonia's negative essay is published in the paper. Will everyone survive and make it back to Miami? And will the adventure give Camila the boost she needs to stand up to book banning in her own time?

There is a lot of historical information in this book that might not be widely known, so it was great to see extensive end notes describing historical events like the Great Depression as well as the famous historical figures who are portrayed. Information about book bannings and Puerto Rico is also included. There is an extensive list of books for further reading in addition to a lengthy bibliography.

Like the first book in the series, this is illustrated by Poly Bernatene. In addition to chapter headings, there are a good number of illustrations that support the text, usually about one per chapter. I'd love to see more illustrated middle grade books.

Teachers and librarians will appreciate the inclusion of information about both historical and modern books bannings, which weigh heavy on many minds. To lighten the load, there is the opportunity to see famous literary characters interacting with the time traveling cousins!

Time traveling is always more fun when there's a mission, celebrities from the time, and a lot of adventures! If readers enjoyed Henderson's The Magic in Changing Your Stars or Questlove and Cosby's The Rhythm of Time series and want more time slip adventures, this and Cousins in the Time of Magic are great choices to read next.

I ended up not buying the first book in the series for my middle school library, since it seemed more appealing to upper elementary readers, so I won't purchase this sequel.

[YSBR]

Cousins Camila, Siggy, and Jorge spend every Monday afternoon at their aunt’s house in Miami.  Tía Xía works at a local historical museum and is very well-versed in their family’s Latin American heritage, but the three kids have recently learned that she is also a time-traveling adventurer.  When a valuable first edition book by Pura Belpré, as well as a pair of puppets made by the famous librarian and storyteller, are reported missing from the New York Public Library and mysteriously appear in Tía’s cabinets, the cousins know they need to help.  A large clay jar (called a tinajon) in Tía’s front yard serves as a portal to a beach where magic boats whisk Tia and the cousins where and when they need to go - in this case, 1930 New York City.  Their goal is to return the book and puppets to a hiding spot in the library, then return to the present and notify the authorities of the artifacts' location.  

This plan is thwarted right from the start, as the kids are pursued through the tinajon by their bullying neighbor Cooper, who gains possession of one of the puppets.  He is unable to follow them to New York, but the puppets enable them to communicate and Cooper continues to threaten the cousins that way.  In New York, the trio quickly runs afoul of Eva Wilson, the wife of an important factory owner, who believes Puerto Ricans (who comprise a large part of her husband’s workforce) and others of Latino descent are “unwanted and unassimilable.”  She takes the book away from them, saying they should only be reading English stories, and assuming that the kids have stolen it.  The confrontation with Mrs. Wilson sets Camila, Siggy, and Jorge, along with their new friend Antonia, off on a daring tour of New York landmarks and libraries, in which they meet the Chilean poet Gabriela Mistral, Afro-Cuban librarian and historian Arthur Schomburg, and finally the legendary Pura Belpré herself.  Their efforts to restore the book and puppets to their rightful place are a race against time in both the past and the present, and also leads them to wonder who tried to frame Tía for the theft in the first place.    

The power of stories, both as a means of cultural preservation and of providing a sense of belonging, is at the core of this companion to Cousins in the Time of Magic.  In that book, Camila, Siggy and Jorge went back to the 19th century and bore witness both to the American Civil War and the Mexican Battle of Puebla; they learned a great deal about history and their own ancestry. In this outing, their mission is less dangerous, but not less meaningful.  Seeing how the Puerto Rican community is treated by their employers and fellow citizens in New York during the Depression sheds light on modern-day circumstances, especially for Camila, who had gotten in trouble at school for sharing Spanish reading materials with a new immigrant classmate.   Readers will love the bond between the three cousins, especially the way they build on each others’ strengths, and will enjoy the connections they make with the kids and adults they meet in New York.  Copious back matter includes an author’s note, definitions of certain terms, notes about events and people the kids encountered, and a comprehensive list for further reading. Link to complete review: https://ysbookreviews.wordpress.com/2...

[Mark Buxton]

What worked:
Each book in the series is set in a different time in history. This time, the cousins travel back to the United States in 1930, trying to return a “stolen” book from a present-day New York library. The book creatively describes life during the Great Depression, as the kids navigate the city. There’s an emphasis on racial prejudice, specifically against Puerto Ricans. A wealthy white woman tries to exaggerate her influence by focusing on any negative news stories that involve Puerto Ricans. She wants Puerto Ricans living in New York to become more “American”, although she’s reminded that Puerto Ricans are, in fact, already Americans. Some prejudicial thoughts are eerily similar to those the cousins have experienced in the modern world. The end of the book includes the author's words explaining factual historical information related to elements of the book.
The cousins, Jorge, Camila, and Siggy, are the main characters, and they each have important roles in the story. Tia Xia is the dependable savior for the cousins during the adventure. The kids know she can always resolve their problems, although they’re all separated in this story. Tia Xia has experience with time travel, and she always seems to know people from previous trips into the past. One Harlem archive owner is aware of her time-traveling and is an invaluable asset in solving the conflict. Tia Xia also seems aware of how situations will work out, creating calmness and confidence in the other characters. An obnoxious, rich bully in the present has a surprisingly helpful part in resolving the conflict in 1930.
What didn’t work as well:
The characters from the past are too carefree about the cousins traveling through time. They’re more curious and excited about the possibility than alarmed or disbelieving. Also, the mechanics of time travel aren’t clear. The characters hop into small boats and are carried to where and when in history they need to go.
The final verdict:
You can still enjoy this book without having read the previous one. The plot is fast-paced, and it provides fun information about United States history. I recommend you try it for yourself.

[Tonja Drecker]

Adventure weaves with historical goodness, Latin immigration, and time travel to create a rich tale.

Camila can't believe that she of all people has been scolded and publicly announced for bringing forbidden books to school, when she simply tried to give the new girl (and her new friend) some of her own favorite books written in Spanish. To make it up to her friend, she borrows another one of her aunt's books in Spanish as well as two hand puppets, but underway to her friend's house, a school bully intercepts her. As luck would have it, the book and puppets have been declared as missing from the New York library...and the bully recognizes them from the news. To keep her aunt from being accused of theft, her and her cousins head back in time through her aunt's magical portal to return the objects to the library, but nothing goes as planned.

Note: This is the second book in the series. I did not read the first one before diving into this tale, but that wasn't a problem since the author adds important background information quickly as necessary.

This is a fast-paced read with tension and excitement the entire way through. It grabs right away and keeps things exciting the whole way through. Even the characters are introduced in interesting ways and have vibrant personalities. Then, there are the historical elements, and these are very well done. The author brings across the 1930 era with little known figures and events, and it's very clear she's done her research. But she never alienates the reader, either, keeping everything very natural and familiar at the same rime. It creates a smooth shift which lets the plot take control without the slightest hiccup. At the end of the book, there is more detailed information about several aspects surrounding the historical time frame. So, there's lots of goodness in these pages on that end, too.

Adventure fans who enjoy historical dives will want to take a look at this read.

[Andrea]

Adventure in the City of Stories by Emma Otheguy is about three cousins who must help prove their aunt’s innocence after she is falsely accused of stealing an artifact.

While hanging out at their aunt’s house, cousins Jorge, Camila, and Siggy discover dusty old puppets and a book. They soon discover that the book and puppets once belonged to Pura Belpré, a trailblazing Latina librarian and storyteller. Their aunt has been accused of stealing the artifacts, so the cousins must travel back to 1930s New York to return the puppets and book and prove that their aunt didn’t steal them.

As the trio travels back in time, they realize that danger is lurking around every corner. A powerful woman wants to steal the book, while their nosy neighbor is hot on their heels. While trying to find a safe place to hide the artifacts, the trio meets Antonia, a young Puerto Rican girl who is fighting against the injustice and stigma faced by her community.

This is the second book in the series. Like the previous book, I thought this was an okay read. I felt like it was missing something that would have gotten me truly invested in the story. The writing felt a bit dry, and the characters seemed wooden. I wasn’t able to connect with any of them.

I did like that the author showcases different aspects of Latin culture and history that might not be well known. I also liked that the book includes a glossary and additional information at the end. However, I would have liked to see translations for the Spanish words. I think this would have been a great way for young readers who aren’t familiar with Spanish to learn some new words.

While this is part of a series, it can be read as a standalone. I did like that the book introduces a larger mystery that could continue throughout the series. I was feeling a bit lackluster about the series, but I might give the third book a chance before deciding whether to continue with future installments.

[Brenda]

Adventure in the City of Stories is a companion novel to Cousins in the Time of Magic, and both books center on time-travel missions. In this installment the trio experiences life during the Great Depression. They encounter Eva Wilson, a wealthy woman who promotes assimilation, and Antonia, a young girl whose father works in Mr. Wilson's factory and whose job is threatened after Antonia writes about the factory's harsh working conditions.

The story is beautifully illustrated by Poly Bernatene, whose artwork vividly conveys the era, the action, and the characters. The book has strong kid appeal and is filled with fascinating historical details, the decrease in book printing during the Depression due to paper shortages, the banning of books, information about Latino storytellers, and Puerto Rico, and the essential role of librarians and reading in preserving culture. There is a helpful section at the end that highlights all the historical figures mentioned in the story along with a glossary of terms. Overall, I loved how the book encouraged readers to learn and make connections with historical events.

[Kim Wilch]

This fast-paced adventure was even more exciting than we expected. When Camila shares her favorite Spanish books at school, she finds herself in trouble and soon caught up in a mystery involving missing library books, a bully, and an unexpected trip through time. The story is filled with tension, action, and plenty of heart, while the characters' distinct personalities keep everything lively. We loved how historical details were woven naturally into the plot. The bonus historical information at the end was a nice touch. Although this is the second book in the series, it works well as a standalone read. We read the first book - and you won’t be sorry if you grab that one also.