Facing Fear

by Karen Lynn Williams, Sara Palacios (Illustrator)

Overview

Enrique can’t believe his father won’t let him travel to his team’s big soccer tournament. Papi says going across the checkpoint is too risky. Even though Enrique is a U.S. citizen, the rest of the family isn’t—and if the border police stop them, the family might be split up. The next morning Enrique decides he’s going to his big game, no matter what. But the day ahead will change how he sees his dad and how he defines courage… 

This book is a powerful depiction of the everyday struggles faced by undocumented immigrants and their families. Sensitively told with expressive illustrations, Facing Fear explores the meaning of bravery and the strength of a community.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781467463744
Publisher:	Eerdmans, William B. Publishing Company
Publication date:	03/02/2021
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	44
Sales rank:	699,477
File size:	94 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	5 - 9 Years

About the Author

Karen Lynn Williams has written many books about children in adversity, including the bestselling My Name is Sangoel and Four Feet, Two Sandals with Khadra Mohammed (Eerdmans). Karen has lived in Haiti and Malawi, but now lives in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Visit her website at karenlynnwilliams.com.

Sara Palacios is the illustrator of Between Us and Abuela (FSG), 'Twas Nochebuena (Viking), One Big Family (Eerdmans), and many other books for children. In 2012, she received the Pura Belpr‚ Illustrator Honor for Marisol McDonald Doesn't Match (Children's Book Press). Sara was born in Mexico City and earned BFA and MFA degrees in Illustration from the Academy of Art University in San Francisco. Follow her on Instagram @sarapalaciosillustrations or visit her website at sarapalaciosillustrations.com.
Karen Lynn Williams has written several books about the difficult lives of children around the world, including Galimoto (Lothrop, Lee & Shepard), Tap-Tap (Clarion), and Circles of Hope (Eerdmans). Karen has lived in Haiti and Malawi, but now lives in Pit

Editorial Reviews

01/25/2021

Enrique’s triumphant winning kick qualifies his soccer team for a tournament, but the 10-year-old faces a barrier to attending: though Enrique was born in the U.S., his family’s undocumented status complicates his passing through an immigration checkpoint, which could end in Mama, Papa, and older sister Rosa’s being deported. Angry and uncomprehending (“You’re always afraid,” he tells his father), Enrique plans to go anyway until a friend’s father is deported after being stopped for a broken taillight. As Enrique’s family takes refuge with relatives to avoid a possible roundup, he learns the full story of the family’s journey to America, and gains a deeper appreciation for their courage. The ending has an after-school special feel, but Williams’s (A Thousand White Butterflies) storytelling is otherwise heartfelt and sympathetic, with back matter that provides context and lists support organizations and further reading suggestions. In earnest vignettes, Palacios (A Way with Wild Things) brings emotional tension to the family’s backstory, clearly portraying the relentless anxiety of one undocumented family’s experience. Ages 5–9. (Mar.)

Publishers Weekly

2021-01-13
The son of undocumented immigrants learns about what threatens to tear apart his family.

Hooray! Enrique’s soccer team is going to the tournament. There’s only one problem: Enrique must get his permission slip signed by his father, who refuses to sign it for fear of what will happen when Enrique travels through the checkpoint. “If they find something on your papers, they could send us back across the border, split us up,” says Papá. Though Enrique’s a U.S. citizen by birthright, Papá, Mamá, and his sister, Rosa, all live in the U.S. as undocumented immigrants. Papá’s refusal to sign the permission slip enrages Enrique, who fears that he’s letting down his team. “Why did his father worry so much?” When rumors of a migra roundup begin to circulate, Enrique’s family takes refuge at his tía’s home, where Papá finally shares with Enrique the full story of the family’s difficult journey across the border. While Williams never explicitly pins down the specific geographical context or the family’s cultural background (the artwork depicts them as brown-skinned and places a Mexican national soccer team banner on Enrique’s bedroom wall), this demonstrative tale nonetheless commits to a portrait of an immigrant experience that’s full of uncertainty due to the U.S. government’s heavily anti-immigrant agenda. The author’s use of text that’s direct and blunt in message clearly expresses the weight of what’s always at stake, even though this commitment to frankness leads to some abrupt tonal shifts. Palacios’ colorful, bright pictures exude enough warmth to push back against the bleakness that threatens to overwhelm.

Crucial in its timeliness. (author's note, resource list, further reading) (Picture book. 5-9)

Kirkus Reviews