I work in education with many children who come from a similar background as the main character of this book and who also face similar challenges. In my school it is not uncommon for students to leave school in the middle of the school year to visit Mexico. Some of these trips may be in order to reconnect with family but others may be due to a family member being deported.
Efrén is a great big brother who takes care of his sometimes pesky younger siblings. His mom and dad (whom he calls amá and apá respectively) work hard to take care of the family. They have a secret however, they are in the country illegally and the specter of deportation always hangs over them.
One day however, amá goes missing and Efrén's worst fears come true. His father must scramble to fix things and Efrén has to pick up the slack at home with the little ones while also keeping things going at school. As if this isn't enough, David is running for school president and needs Efrén's help but Efrén isn’t 100% sure he wants to help his pal
It is a basic human desire for parents to want better for their children. Although it may not be the right thing to do legally, all throughout history people have left their country whenever things go awry due to war, conflict or disease.
Cisneros provides a comprehensive glossary of terms in the back of the book as well which is good for those who don't speak Spanish or don't understand it that well (there is much Spanish used in the book). Books like these are good ways to introduce topics to younger readers who may see topics on the news or on social media but don't understand. A few read alikes to this book are Becoming Naomi Leon by Pam Munoz Ryan, Return to Sender by Julia Alvarez and The Crossroads by Alexandra Diaz.
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