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sirilouise's review
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
lpkbooks's review
5.0
Great YA story illuminating Mexican-American child’s personal experience of current immigration politics. Look forward to hearing Piper’s take on it.
sienna_canread's review
5.0
One of the saddest books I’ve ever read even after rereading it. It deserves a 5 star
roseleaf24's review
5.0
This book is so good. It's so sad and hopeful and family- strong. I love that it manages to encourage kids to make a difference while also being real about problems that are just too big.
shanemarie's review against another edition
hopeful
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
ashpanda88's review against another edition
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
colleensb_'s review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
andreatypesbraille's review
5.0
This was a heartbreaking read, with an incredible perspective.
Efren is a 6th grader in southern California. He lives in a studio apartment with his mom, dad, and younger twin siblings, Mia and Max. Both of his parents are undocumented immigrants, his mom having come across the border with a coyote, and his dad crossed the border with temporary visa papers.
Efren knows his family is poor, but he sees the "milagros" his mother creates, like her sopes, which leads to Efren calling her "Soperwoman".
When is mother is deported as a result of an ICE raid, Efren steps into a greater role, taking care of his younger siblings, looking after their home, helping his dad as he works overnights as well as his regular dayshifts.
I absolutely loved reading Efren's story. Though it's fiction, it's clearly based on the realities that many face currently. I think this is a great introduction to the complicated issue of immigration for any age of reader, as it provides one of the, I believe, most common scenarios where this is an issue. Parents, seeking a better life for their children.
Efren is a 6th grader in southern California. He lives in a studio apartment with his mom, dad, and younger twin siblings, Mia and Max. Both of his parents are undocumented immigrants, his mom having come across the border with a coyote, and his dad crossed the border with temporary visa papers.
Efren knows his family is poor, but he sees the "milagros" his mother creates, like her sopes, which leads to Efren calling her "Soperwoman".
When is mother is deported as a result of an ICE raid, Efren steps into a greater role, taking care of his younger siblings, looking after their home, helping his dad as he works overnights as well as his regular dayshifts.
I absolutely loved reading Efren's story. Though it's fiction, it's clearly based on the realities that many face currently. I think this is a great introduction to the complicated issue of immigration for any age of reader, as it provides one of the, I believe, most common scenarios where this is an issue. Parents, seeking a better life for their children.
mary00's review
4.0
This is an empathy building book and would be a beneficial read for everyone. Efren's mother is deported to Mexico when picked up in an ICE raid, leaving her husband and three children behind in America. The look at how this effects her family feels real, heartbreaking, and important.
This is excellent middle grade fiction.
This is excellent middle grade fiction.
bickie's review against another edition
4.0
Anthony Rey Perez's narration is fantastic, changing pronunciations of words and subtle voices for different characters. For example, Mexican woman in Mexico pronounces "you" as "jou," and a presumably white teacher pronounces Efrén's name "EFF-ren."
Poignant story of undocumented Mexican parents raising three children (Efrén, 12, and twins Mia and Max, about 5) outside of Los Angeles. Efrén's world changes suddenly when his mother is deported in an ICE raid. His teachers notice that he's no longer turning in homework and arriving late for class (due to childcare duties at home). Efrén's father takes on extra work duties to make money to pay a coyote to bring Efrén's mother back. There are some tense moments in Tijuana,.
Poignant story of undocumented Mexican parents raising three children (Efrén, 12, and twins Mia and Max, about 5) outside of Los Angeles. Efrén's world changes suddenly when his mother is deported in an ICE raid. His teachers notice that he's no longer turning in homework and arriving late for class (due to childcare duties at home). Efrén's father takes on extra work duties to make money to pay a coyote to bring Efrén's mother back. There are some tense moments in Tijuana,