Letters in Charcoal by Irene Vasco (author) and Juan Palomino (illustrator)

In the pueblo of Palenque in Colombia, hardly anybody knows how to read. Curious about the letters her older sister Gina receives from a young doctor each month – letters that she is sure contain promises of love – one young girl makes a decision that will change her life, and the lives of every child in the pueblo, forever. With the help of Senor Velandia, the owner of the village shop, she will slowly unlock the letters of the alphabet and discover the magic of reading. And soon she will make a discovery that is more miraculous still – that letters are literally all around her . . .