From the Publisher
Miguel has dreamed of joining his parents in California since the day they left him behind in Mexico six years, eleven months, and twelve days ago. On the morning of his fifteenth birthday, Miguel’s wait is over.
Or so he thinks. The trip north to the border—la línea—is fraught with dangers. Thieves. Border guards. And a grueling, two-day trek across the desert. It would be hard enough to survive alone. But it’s almost impossible with his tagalong sister in tow.
Their money gone and their hopes nearly dashed, Miguel and his sister have no choice but to hop the infamous mata gente as it races toward the border. As they cling to the roof of the speeding train, they hold onto each other, and to their dreams. But they quickly learn that you can’t always count on dreams—even the ones that come true.
Carol Ann Lloyd-Stanger
-
Children's Literature
Miguel has been waiting forever for his father to tell him it is time to leave San Jacinto, Mexico, to join his parents in Mexico. On his fifteenth birthday, instead of the expected presents, he receives word from his father that his time has come. He thinks he's leaving his grandmother and sister Elena behind, but Elena is as determined to cross "la linea" and go north as Miguel is. Right from the start, his journey does not progress the way Miguel thought it would. He and Elena are faced with repeated decisions about whether or not they can trust the people they meet along the way. To have any chance of getting to California, they must jump onto a moving train, survive the streets of small towns along the way, negotiate for their survival, face robbery and physical violence, and nearly die in their trek across the desert. Will their determination be enough to overcome the corruption and dangers that separate them from "la linea" and the promise of a better life? Their desperate journey is portrayed in vivid and realistic text. In final notes, Jaramillo explains to readers that although the story is fiction, it is based on actual events.Cultural references and Spanish words and phrases are woven gracefully into the text to give readers a genuine flavor of the cultural journey. 2006, Roaring Brook Press/Holtzbrinck Publishing, Ages 10 to 15.
Ava Ehde
-
VOYA
El Norte represents the celluloid American dream that only those from the outside looking in through television, movies, advertisements, and stories can desire and perhaps willingly sacrifice everything to attain. To all those hungry and desperate souls from Mexico southward, la Lfnea is an unseen line or border that keeps them from their dream. The border is patrolled formally by the U.S. Border Patrol as well as informally by Mexican bandits who rob, rape and often murder the illegal immigrants. The immigrants are often forced to employ coyotes whose trustworthiness is frequently in question to navigate the desert and get them to the border. Miguel has waited seven long years for the money, instructions, and okay from his Papa to start his own perilous journey across la Lfnea, but he did not bargain for his sister, Elena, sneaking along. The two face hardships that leave them with empty pockets and hungry bellies, and turned all the way around. Their dangerous journey is often thwarted by unforeseen variables such as the mata gente or "people killer," a freight train headed north that leaves many illegals who try to jump on it crippled, deformed, and even dead. There are countless pitfalls to the crossing but also many bright spots offered by kind and self-sacrificing countrymen. This well-written account of the perils of illegal border crossing would make a worthwhile read for students studying history, geography, or cultures and is a solid recommendation for both school and public libraries. VOYA CODES: 4Q 3P M J S (Better than most, marred only by occasional lapses; Will appeal with pushing; Middle School, defined as grades 6 to 8; Junior High, defined as grades 7 to 9; Senior High,defined as grades 10 to 12). 2006, A Deborah Brodie Book/Roaring Brook, 144p., Ages 11 to 18.
School Library Journal
Gr 5 Up-Six years ago, Miguel and Elena's mother and father left Mexico and crossed la l'nea into California. On the morning of Miguel's 15th birthday, he receives a note from his father telling him that it is time for him to join them. Miguel is sad to leave his grandmother and sister behind, but is excited about being reunited with his parents. Unbeknownst to Miguel, Elena, 13, disguises herself and joins him on the difficult journey. They are robbed, threatened, and almost perish in a desperate trek across the desert. The pacing of the plot is quick and driven, and the characters are realistically drawn. They interact as true siblings do, sometimes with love and sometimes not. Cultural and geographical background information is expertly woven into the novel. The author creates a mood of desperation and anxiety as the story unfolds and Miguel and Elena discover that crossing la l'nea will forever change the way they look at themselves and the world. Although the epilogue illuminates their lives as adults, the novel ends abruptly, leaving readers without the anticipated emotional release of their reunion with their parents.-Melissa Christy Buron, Epps Island Elementary, Houston, TX Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.
Kirkus Reviews
A Mexican teen risks everything to emigrate illegally to the U.S. to join his family and find a new life. Biding his time for six years in a backwater Mexican village, Miguel, his younger sister Elena and his grandmother survive on money his parents send monthly from California. Miguel is convinced his future also lies across la l'nea in California. On Miguel's 15th birthday, his father finally sends money and instructions for Miguel to head north. But Miguel's careful plans disintegrate when he discovers Elena has followed him. After their bus is diverted south and their money stolen, they are on their own and their only option is to steal a ride on the infamous mata gente, a freight train heading north known as the "people killer." If they survive the ride, they still face a two-day desert trek across the U.S. border. Despite their brother-sister antipathy, Miguel and Elena stick together, escaping one danger after another to cross the border and discover what lies on the other side. A nail-biting real-life adventure. (author's note) (Fiction. 12+)
Loading...