Before We Were Free by Julia Alvarez

Before we Were Free tells the somewhat autobiographical story of Julia Alvarez's cousin who lived in the Dominican Republic during the unstable days of the revolution. Her other wealthy and influential relatives fled to New York, but this girl's family stayed behind and helped plot the overthrow of the dictator. I'm not sure if kids will love this book, but I found it interesting because of my knowledge of Central America. This family lives in fear, later in hiding, and finally the mother and daughter escape to New York. The girl in the story is 12 years old, but I recommend the story for children ages 12 and up.