Cesar Cascaron

YA-In this difficult book, Paspart# is a picaresque figure who is taken in as a servant by a family of traveling Mexican circus performers. The head of the family, C esar Cascar""n, likes to play a set of musical crystal glasses called the verrill""n or harm""nica. The author invents a whole history and subplot for this instrument and attributes to it the power to mesmerize and discombobulate not only the audience, but also the musician. This power leads to all sorts of upsetting situations for C esar and his family. It is up to the much-abused yet loyal Paspart# to save the Cascar""n family members from their own folly. Although the story is very original and entertaining, the barrage of challenging words threaten to drown readers in vocabulary. Secondary school students with excellent Spanish-language skills will enjoy this book tremendously. Others may set it aside in frustration. Recommended for larger collections only. Maria Otero-Boisvert, Criticas