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4.22 AVERAGE
4.22 AVERAGE
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
So important and necessary. Of course, I wish that maybe everything didn’t go perfectly because it’s unrealistic to the actual horrors refugees face but for the idea of making immigration digestible for young readers, this book is brilliant. Glad a book exists to teach young readers about the experience of people from other countries and how difficult immigration can be. I also love how well integrated the Spanish and English are.
I read this book when I was in a big reading slump. I expected to pick this up, get a few chapters in, and then give up and return the book. This was not the case, however. Jamie’s story is touching and important. I couldn’t put the book down. I 100% recommend this book for anyone who likes touching middle-grade books.
The story of two Guatemalan children (Jaime is 12, his cousin Angela 15) who need to leave their home country after refusing to join the gang that killed Angelas's brother. It takes a realistic look at how even the 'best' migration story plays out. While on the Guatemalan side of the border it all seemed very realistic but I think they had more luck in the USA than the average refugee arriving here.
This book drew me in and captivated me from the very beginning. I have a heart for the immigrant and the immigrant story, especially since so many of my students know this story either first hand or from their parents or other relatives.
I currently teach the novel "Lupita Mañana" which tells a very similar story just set nearly forty years ago. My students engage with that novel at a level I rarely see with anything else. I know that they would grab onto this novel and not let go, especially since the struggles of Jaime and Ángela resonate so strongly with what they know.
Diaz also weaves in many references to current events and real struggles that she makes this story come alive before the reader's eyes.
I wholeheartedly recommend this novel and will definitely purchase this book (perhaps multiple copies) for my own classroom library.
I currently teach the novel "Lupita Mañana" which tells a very similar story just set nearly forty years ago. My students engage with that novel at a level I rarely see with anything else. I know that they would grab onto this novel and not let go, especially since the struggles of Jaime and Ángela resonate so strongly with what they know.
Diaz also weaves in many references to current events and real struggles that she makes this story come alive before the reader's eyes.
I wholeheartedly recommend this novel and will definitely purchase this book (perhaps multiple copies) for my own classroom library.
I loved this book when I first read it last year in English. Reading the book in Spanish made me fall in love even more. Spanish perfectly embodied the terrifying reality of Jaime and Angela (almost started typing in Spanish there) as they journeyed to the United States.
See my review of the English version for more details.
See my review of the English version for more details.
adventurous
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
The Only Road by Alexandra Diaz was inspired in part from the author's own experience as a Cuban immigrant, and more recently by an article in Smithsonian Magazine about the flood of children entering the United States unaccompanied.
http://pussreboots.com/blog/2017/comments_06/only_road.html
http://pussreboots.com/blog/2017/comments_06/only_road.html
adventurous
informative
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
emotional
informative
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Great book for kids. I read this with my 7th students. You get some insight on one narrative of immigration.