The Crossroads
Written by Alexandra Diaz
Published by Simon & Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books
After crossing Mexico into the United States, Jaime Rivera thinks the worst is over. Starting a new school can’t be that bad. Except it is, and not just because he can barely speak English. While his cousin Angela fits in quickly, with new friends and after-school activities, Jaime struggles with even the idea of calling this strange place home. His real home is with his parents, abuela, and the rest of the family; not here where cacti and cattle outnumber people, where he can no longer be himself a boy from Guatemala. When bad news arrives from his parents back home, feelings of helplessness and guilt gnaw at Jaime. Gang violence in Guatemala means he can’t return home, but he’s not sure if he wants to stay either. The US is not the great place everyone said it would be, especially if you’re sin papeles undocumented like Jaime. When things look bleak, hope arrives from unexpected places: a quiet boy on the bus, a music teacher, an old ranch hand. With his sketchbook always close by, Jaime uses his drawings to show what it means to be a true citizen. Powerful and moving, this touching sequel to The Only Road explores overcoming homesickness, finding ways to connect despite a language barrier, and discovering what it means to start over in a new place that alternates between being wonderful and completely unwelcoming.
Primary ISBN: 9781534414556
Available As: Hardcover, Paperback
Chapter Book, Age 09 or older
Community Represented: Guatemalan/Guatemalan American
Themes: Discrimination: Language Ability, Family Separation: Living with Other Family or Friends, Multilingual Character, Own Voices/Lived Experience, Refugee: Gang Violence, Refugee: Undocumented, The Arts
Setting: United States
Character’s New Arrival/New American Status: Immigrant
Book Creator(s) Connection to the Community Represented: Own Voices/Lived Experience
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