They Call Her Fregona: A Border Kid’s Poems
Written by David Bowles
Published by Penguin Young Readers Group
“You can be my boyfriend.” It only takes five words to change Güero’s life at the end of seventh grade. The summer becomes extra busy as he learns to balance new band practice with his old crew, Los Bobbys, and being Joanna Padilla’s boyfriend. They call her “fregona” because she’s tough, always sticking up for her family and keeping the school bully in check. But Güero sees her softness. Together they cook dollar-store spaghetti and hold hands in the orange grove, learning more about themselves and each other than they could have imagined. But when they start eighth grade, Joanna faces a tragedy that requires Güero to reconsider what it means to show up for someone you love.
Look for the Spanish version, Le dicen Fregona: Poemas de un chavo de la frontera.
Primary ISBN: 9780593462577
Publication Date: September 2022
Available As: Hardcover, Audiobook, eBook
Young Adult, Age 10 or older
Community Represented: Mexican/Mexican American, Various (Hispanic/Latinx)
Themes: Activism, Allyship, Coming of Age, Community Action, Cross-Group Dating, Cross-Group Friendship, Cultural Empowerment & Joy: Identity, Deportation, Discrimination: Immigration Status, Discrimination: Racial, Family Separation: By Detention, Generation: 1st, Genre: Poetry, LGBTQIA+, Multilingual Character, Own Voices/Lived Experience, US/Mexican Border Crossing
Setting: Unspecified Border State
Character’s New Arrival/New American Status: 1st Generation
Book Creator(s) Connection to the Community Represented: Own Voices/Lived Experience
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