This work is for ages 9-14. From being a stopping point for pirates and privateers, to a Spanish colony and later an American colony, the island of Puerto Rico has been a strategic piece of real estate for hundreds of years. Children will learn about Puerto Rico's fights for independence and autonomy and about the island's many cultures past and present. Special interest spreads describe the many festivals held each year and show the day in a life of an average student. Topics include: trade and piracy in early Puerto Rico; the island's special commonwealth status within the United States; special Puerto Rican holidays and festivals such as the coffee and sugar harvest festivals; famous Puerto Ricans; the art of guitar making.