When They Tore Down the Palace

Written by Adria Quiñones
Illustrated by Richy Sanchez Ayala
Published by Reycraft Books

Aracelys lives in Washington Heights, an eclectic neighborhood in northern Manhattan in New York City. One day, her father tells her a story of The Palace, an old-time movie theater at the corner of Broadway and 181st Street. “It was grand and mysterious like a hotel in a far-away land,” says Papa. After a while, the theater got old and fewer people continued to visit to watch movies and it was shut down. Her uncle, Tio Manolo, hoped one day it would show movies again, but it wasn’t meant to be.

One spring day, Aracelys and her family see the construction crew arrive to take down The Palace brick by brick until all that is left is empty space with a large fence around it. While this makes them sad, they soon realize they could now see other buildings on the other side of Broadway!

Who lives there? What are they doing? Were there kids looking for them? Aracelys and her family soon find creative ways to communicate with the people across the street, hoping to meet new friends. It doesn’t take long before they get a response, sparking a brand-new friendship!