This is a heartbreakingly realistic tale of immigration, although I hesitate to call it that, as it highlights the arbitrariness of the southwest border. In modern times, the United States has drawn a line and said, "This is where people are from (insert one side or the other)," when in fact, the Native people who have always lived on and along where that line now stands were never consulted about solidifying this fluid boundary into a wall of steel.
The book is written in verse, so it goes very quickly. Although I'd recommend it for older, upper middle grade readers, 7th/8th grades, due to the content, it features a main character who's quite young: 9-year-old Betita. Her family belongs to one of those Native peoples who live along the border but end up fleeing increased drug cartel-related violence to come to Los Angeles. Like the sandhill cranes that migrate up and down the North American continent each year, they've come to a safe place to live and raise their young.
Her family stays long enough for her to get settled at school when her father is arrested by ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement). When she and her mother try to figure out what's happened to her father to free him, they're taken into custody as well.
Her father is quickly deported. They, however, are not. They are placed in a detention camp outside the city, where conditions are harsh -- not enough food, mylar blankets, no beds and sleeping on the concrete floors. Headlice and sickness abound.
They have an immigration attorney, but they're not allowed to see her for quite a long time. As they wait to find out what will become of them, Betita writes poems and draws scenes of what she encounters daily, which become key in their case before the immigration judge. Her mom organizes classes and teaches the children in the camp. Her mom's also pregnant, and there's a scene where she almost loses her baby after a hunger strike to highlight the inhumane conditions in the camp.
I won't give away how it ends, but it is heart breaking. It's a powerful read, excellent for getting students thinking about who makes national boundaries and why, what purposes national boundaries serve.
Teacher's Note
There is an educator's guide from the publisher, which includes 10 discussion questions, and categorizes the poems in the book by theme. It also offers suggested resources for preparing your classroom as a safe space for discussing this book, with picture book, music video, and memoir resources listed. It also offers advocacy and community organizations to include when preparing students for reading.
