By Alexandra Diaz
Publisher : Simon & Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books
Language: : English
Hardcover : 336 pages
ISBN-10 : 1534446230
ISBN-13 : 978-1534446236
Reading age : 8 - 12 years
A young boy gets detained by ICE while crossing the border from Mexico to the United States in this timely and unflinching novel by award-winning author Alexandra Diaz.
The bed creaks under Santiago’s shivering body. They say a person’s life flashes by before dying. But it’s not his whole life. Just the events that led to this. The important ones, and the ones Santiago would rather forget.
The coins in Santiago’s hand are meant for the bus fare back to his abusive abuela’s house. Except he refuses to return; he won’t be missed. His future is uncertain until he meets the kind, maternal María Dolores and her young daughter, Alegría, who help Santiago decide what comes next: He will accompany them to el otro lado, the United States of America.
They embark with little, just backpacks with water and a bit of food. To travel together will require trust from all parties, and Santiago is used to going it alone. None of the three travelers realizes that the journey through Mexico to the border is just the beginning of their story.
La travesía de Santiago
Cuando cruzaba la frontera de México con Estados Unidos un muchacho es detenido por ICE en esta novela actual e impávida escrita por la autora galardonada Alexandra Díaz.
La cama cruje bajo el peso del cuerpo tembloroso de Santiago. Dicen que la vida de una persona pasa por su mente antes de morir. Pero esto no es toda su vida. Son solo los acontecimientos que lo llevaron a esta situación. Los más importantes y los que Santiago quisiera olvidar.
Las monedas en la mano de Santiago son para el boleto del autobús para regresar a la casa de su abuela abusiva. Pero él rehusa regresar. No lo van a extrañar. Su futuro es incierto hasta que se encuentra con María Dolores, cariñosa y maternal y su joven hija, Alegría. Este encuentro ayuda a Santiago a decidir lo que va a hacer. Va a acompañarlas hasta el otro lado, hasta los Estados Unidos de América.
Emprenden el viaje con muy pocas cosas, solo mochilas con agua y un poquito de comida. Viajar juntos requiere que confíen unos en los otros y Santiago está acostumbrado a ir solo. Ninguno de los tres viajeros se da cuenta de que la travesía a través de México hasta la frontera es solamente el comienzo de su historia.
Review
“Vivid details and a sympathetic protagonist make this a harrowing but deeply illuminating portrayal of the struggles faced by families at the U.S.-Mexico border.” —School Library Journal
“The author’s cleareyed, compassionate writing serves as a much-needed wake-up call to readers. . . . An urgent mirror for troubling times”. -- Kirkus Reviews, *STARRED REVIEW*
“The characters here are fully realized, and this narrative is one that brings home the reality of what is happening at our borders. Pair with David Bowles’ They Call Me Güero for units exploring the southern U.S. border. A musthave for all middle-grade collections.” -- Booklist, STARRED Review
“Basing Santiago’s story on well-documented experiences, Diaz’s crucial narrative shines a disconcerting light on the plight of children in U.S. detention centers along the southern border.” -- Publishers Weekly *STARRED*
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