From the Publisher
*2019 Kirkus Prize for Young Readers Literature Finalist!*
*A Kirkus Best Book of the Year!*
*An NCSS Notable Social Studies Trade Book Pick!*
*AN ILA Notable Book for a Global Society!*
"A critical compilation of stories from unaccompanied Central American teen refugees who make tremendous sacrifices to cross the U.S.-Mexico border. This essential volume is deserving of more than one read." —Kirkus Reviews, starred review
"Villalobos amplifies the voices of the young refugees mired in the current immigration crisis in this accessibly written collection. . . . The stories, some of which are interconnected, demonstrate the complexity and unevenness of the current immigration and asylum policy. . . . Villalobos' approachable collection provides readers with varied, nuanced insight into the issues." —Booklist
School Library Journal
09/01/2019
Gr 7 Up—In Villalobos's author's note, readers learn that all of the stories in this collection were inspired by 10 immigrant minors from Los Angeles and New York in 2016. And while there are fictional techniques employed and names have been changed to protect anonymity, they are true to the experiences of the Central American teens who crossed the border into the United States. Set off with graffiti-style title pages, each short story highlights the current climate of immigration from hopeful to tragic and showcases a range of experiences including financial payout for transportation, running away from home, and kidnapping. The emotional toll is felt deeply, no matter the bleak circumstances, with narrators recounting experiences of being locked in a shipping container or a jail cell. The weakness of this collection is that the varied fictional techniques do not tie the stories together and infrequently fit the storytelling itself. For example, one story uses chapter headings while another uses dates; another uses hyphens to move the story forward paragraph by paragraph. VERDICT Ultimately, this collection is an additional purchase because of the quality of the writing, not because of the significance of the topic and stories that lie within. Without consistency, the stories feel scattered with the only binding element being the teens' geographic location.—Alicia Abdul, Albany High School, NY
Kirkus Reviews
★ 2019-07-21
A critical compilation of stories from unaccompanied Central American teen refugees who make tremendous sacrifices to cross the U.S.-Mexico border.
Told in short vignettes that offer dynamic perspectives, this harrowing book provides readers with snapshots of dire, foreboding situations faced by migrants. The first story, "Where Are Your Kids?" spotlights 16-year-old Kevin and his 10-year-old sister, Nicole, whose mother in the U.S. learns from an immigration officer that her kids are not in Guatemala on a school trip as she believed but rather detained at the San Ysidro border. In another account titled "I'd Rather Die Trying to Get Out," the two siblings are moneyless and lost, resorting to asking a random truck driver for a lift. The author's introductory note indicates that all these stories are true save for some changes to protect the 11 immigrant minors' identities. Most narratives leave readers with (all the right) questions: How long were the teens detained? Are they OK? Why did they receive such horrible treatment in detention cells? What aren't they telling readers? Villalobos (Breve historia del ya merito, 2018, etc.) records the chilling details of the refugees' treks, framed against a background of politics and the reality of today's migration crisis.
At the center of every story lies credible fear; this essential volume is deserving of more than one read. (author's note, about the refugees, glossary) (Nonfiction. 12-18)
