Adventure in the City of Stories (Cousins in the Time of Magic #2)

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?