Danilo Was Here

Starred review from October 14, 2024
Baseball has always been the thing that made Black Panamanian middle schooler Danilo Osorio feel close to his beloved papá, who dreamed of becoming a pro
baseball player. But when Papá immigrates to the U.S. for work and severs contact, Danilo loses interest. He instead worries
for his overworked mamá, whose job at a supermercado leaves him responsible for his younger sister Amara. Home conditions worsen in mid-December 1989, when the U.S. military invasion to oust Panamanian leader Noriega devastates Danilo’s neighborhood. The family is forced to move to a refugee camp, from which Danilo is granted a temporary escape: Danilo travels to San Diego following a white American baseball recruiter’s offer of a two-month spot on a U.S. Little League team. All the while, Danilo hides his true intention to locate Papá. Burgess (Sincerely Sicily) utilizes Danilo’s stay with a wealthy white family—whose lavish lifestyle heightens the reality of Danilo’s personal struggles—and depictions of the ethnocentrism inherent among Danilo’s teammates to craft a compelling narrative. Emotive text tackles enduring themes surrounding prejudice while accessibly highlighting the protagonist’s struggles with his mental health, particularly with PTSD. Ages 8–12.

Starred review from November 1, 2024
His family and friends in Panam� have big dreams for Danilo, but he isn't sure they're his dreams. Set in 1990 just after the United States' Operation Just Cause, an invasion centered on ousting dictator Manuel Noriega from Panam�, this novel centers on Danilo Osorio Jr. After a knee injury sustained while playing baseball led to him losing his construction job, Danilo's father left for the States. But the calls and letters have stopped coming, and he's not sending home any money. After the Osorios' apartment in El Chorrillo is damaged in an airstrike, Danilo, his mother, and his younger sister, Amara, are forced to relocate to a refugee center in an airplane hangar. All seems lost until Danilo is recruited to play on a youth baseball team in California for a couple of months. Danilo isn't sure he cares about baseball anymore, but he realizes this might be a chance to contact Pap�. Burgess skillfully covers a lot of ground in her representation of events that are seldom discussed in U.S. history books but that devastated Panam� and its people. Danilo's journey is fast paced, heartfelt, and heartbreaking. The trauma, dislocation, and devastation weighing heavily on him are palpable as he tries to adjust. His new teammates, who are predominantly white, are dismissive and exclude him socially; he also faces a slew of culturally insensitive and ignorant remarks thrown at him as a Black Panamanian boy in the U.S. A compelling book that's here to stay.(Historical fiction. 8-12)

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January 1, 2025

Gr 5 Up-It has been months since Danilo has seen or heard from his father. Going to the United States to explore new opportunities, his father leaves behind a family struggling to make ends meet. The situation gets even more desperate for Danilo's family when American forces invade Panama, forcing their displacement from a crumbling apartment to a makeshift shelter. When Danilo, a skilled baseball player, is presented with a unique opportunity to train in the U.S., he makes a call that could change his future, the fate of his family, and give him a chance to find his father. Set in Panama and the U.S. at the end of Operation Just Cause in 1990, Danilo's story is briskly paced and shines a light on the challenges of navigating family trauma, especially through the dual lenses of PTSD and microaggressions. These themes are handled with sensitivity and care, making the story accessible to a middle grade audience. Though at times the dialogue can be unnatural and the plot resolves too neatly, the story has heart and hope shines through. Highly engaging and set during events that may be unfamiliar to most readers, this is a poignant tale of resilience, family, and self-discovery. VERDICT An excellent purchase for middle grade collections looking for unique historical fiction perspectives and sports fiction.-Louie Lauer

Copyright 2025 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

January 1, 2025
Grades 4-7 In 1989 Panam�, middle-schooler Danilo Osorio cares for his younger sister in their dilapidated apartment while his mother works multiple jobs. Danilo's family hasn't received a letter or money from Pap� since he left to find work in America months ago. It isn't long until their apartment building is condemned and his family is sent to a refugee camp. When a baseball recruiter shows interest in Danilo's talents on the field, Danilo accepts an offer to join a baseball team in the U.S. in the hopes of reuniting with his father. In the States, Danilo encounters microaggressions from his host family, hostility from predominantly white and wealthy teammates, and gruff instruction from his coach. Burgess brings to light the 1989 U.S. invasion of Panam�, aka Operation Just Cause, which deposed Panamanian leader Manuel Noriega, and deftly explores Danilo's culture shock and the emerging signs of PTSD left from the invasion. This coming-of-age story highlights the Black Panamanian experience while touching upon an important but often glossed-over moment in history.

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March 1, 2025
In this fast-paced historical novel, Danilo is a Black Panamanian living in a neighborhood destroyed by the United States' invasion of Panama in 1989. Since the first night of the attack, life has become more and more difficult for him and his family. Papa left them prior to the military action in search of better opportunities in the States, but lately he hasn't been calling or sending money home. As a former baseball player, Papa introduced Danilo to the game and nurtured his considerable talent, but in his absence, Danilo decides to stop playing. But then, ironically, Danilo's skill as a baseball player provides him with the chance to reconnect with his father by playing and training in California for a few months. Ultimately, he must decide if he wants to follow in his dad's footsteps to become a baseball player or pursue a different dream. Burgess has created a sympathetic character in Danilo, a kind, hardworking boy who has PTSD and copes with microaggressions and stereotyping in the U.S. The scenes involving baseball are particularly well written and feel authentic. This novel may hold special appeal for baseball fans, but one needn't be an aficionado to enjoy the story. Marva Anne Hinton

(Copyright 2025 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)