Diaz, Alexandra. The Only Road.

Diaz, Alexandra.  The Only Road.  Simon & Schuster  2016  320p  $16.99       ISBN 978-1-4814-5750-7  ms  Multicultural  VG          

The Only Road starts out like any other book on immigration, but it quickly becomes a work that will not only engage teen readers, but also teach them.  Immigrants who try to come to the United States do not face challenges with immigration officers at the borders between Mexico and the U. S.  Instead, they face gangs, crooks disguised as friends, hatred, greed and countless dangers that often result in death.  What the reader finds are two teenagers who leave Guatemala with their money sewn into the seams of their jeans, and who resourcefully survive one scary encounter after another.  After surviving a harrowing train ride (during which they face starvation and other bodily harm), they figure out how to use their talents, one with sewing and the other with art, to earn enough money to pay Coyote to drive them across the border.  Along the way, there are some good, honest people who help them, but by and large, these people are few in number.  The list of supporting characters is like something out of a movie -- with Padre Kevin, the priest who harbors the immigrants, and Xavi, the young Salvadorian who introduces Angela and Jaime to Vida.  Vida is the survivor of a dog fight, a dog who miraculously survives thanks to Angela’s handiwork skill with a needle and thread.  Author Alexandra Diaz has written a book that sets itself apart from others, with its creative weaving together of true incidents, its plot that moves seamlessly forward, and its characters.  The theme of wanting a better life enough to give up one’s own life will resonate with young teenagers who are deciding for themselves what they deem worth fighting for. 

This novel is a very good choice for middle-school libraries and world-language classrooms.  The story of illegal immigration, although fictional, needs to be shared first, in exactly this genre, to engage the young in taking a stand on this issue in the future.  Please note that this would be a book of note had it been sent as a final printed edition.  The myriad spacing errors need to be corrected before it can be listed as a Tristate BON.

Summary: If they stay in Guatemala, they will be forced to work for the Alphas, the local gang.  If they leave to join Thomas in the U. S., they will face untold obstacles including the dangerous gangs of Mexico.  Jaime and Angela, with the help of their family, flee. 

Immigration-Fiction, Illegals-Fiction                                                              --Martha Squaresky

Narsimhan, Mahtab. Mission Mumbai.

Narsimhan, Mahtab.  Mission Mumbai.  Scholastic Press  2016  261p.  $16.99  ISBN 978-0-545-74651-9  ms  Multicultural  E-BN

In this unusual story, political correctness is thrown out the window as the author, a Mumbia-born and raised Canadian, describes the friendship between two New York City boys, Dylan and Rohit. When his family takes a trip to India, Rohit invites Dylan to come along. In India, the boys embark on a series of adventures and misadventures, and Dylan gets a real education in the workings of a foreign culture. Many of the scenes are hilariously funny, and others are poignant, but there is a singular lack of sentimentality in the writing, and a freshness and frankness that are not usually encountered in middle-school novels. The friendship survives many misunderstandings and slights as Dylan walks a fine line between Rohit’s parents and Rohit himself, who is less than enthusiastic about the trip. All the while, Dylan is comparing Rohit’s family with his own, especially because his parents’ marriage appears to be spiraling downward and he is very upset about it.

The writing is direct, with the word “crap” used liberally, but it works as a style because of Ms. Narsimhan’s understanding of 12-year-old boys and their unsentimental view of the world. The one will appeal particularly to American children of Indian descent, as well as to their friends.

Summary: Dylan is a 12-year-old New York City boy who travels to India with his best friend Rohit in this rollicking story of cultural clashes, adventures and misadventures.

India-Fiction, Friendship-Fiction                     --Carol Kennedy

Thompson, Holly. Falling into the Dragon’s Mouth.

Thompson, Holly. Falling into the Dragon’s Mouth. Macmillan/Henry Holt  2016  343p  $17.99  ISBN 978-1-62779-134-2  ms/hs  Realistic fiction  VG-BN     

Written in verse, this is the story of a bullied child.     Jason Parker is your average boy-next-door.  He is in sixth grade, studies karate, and has a younger sister.  But Jason is an American attending a Japanese public school, where he is a year older than the other students in his class, and tries to be calm and courageous in the face of relentless bullying. 

Thompson discreetly suggests methods for coping with being an outcast by showing a variety of ways that Jason attempts to fit in.  He excels at karate and is able to find some respect and self-confidence at his dojo.  He joins a weekly international study group and forges friendships with other outsiders.  Ultimately, though, adult intervention is necessary.

Written in strong, spare verse, Falling into the Dragon’s Mouth is an excellent springboard for class discussion about bullying, conflicting cultures, and experiencing school as an expatriate. The story also highlights the insider’s perspective on being a second-language learner.      

Bullying-Fiction, Multicultural fiction               --Hilary Welliver

Hawke,

Hawke, Rosanne.  Spirit of Mountain Wolf.  Enslow     2014  208p  $17.95  ISBN 978-1-6234-033-2  hs   Multicultural  E-BN     

When young Razaq Khan witnesses the destruction of his village and his family by an earthquake in the mountains of Pakistan, his trust in his fellow man leads him into a life of squalor and servitude.  At the same time, his uncle is working desperately to find Razaq and return him to safety.  Hawke has written a beautiful book about family, trust, and the most negative aspects of humanity -- the capacity to hold another person captive, and treat another person, young or old, as sexual prey. The plot is adult in nature, and mentors should be cognizant of this before recommending it to young readers. Young adults will find the story compelling and disturbing, but will still read the book, as they do others of this type.  The theme of childhood slavery is crucial to the story, and the sex and violence should be considered when loaning.                

Pakistan-Fiction, Child Slavery-Fiction               --Lynn Fisher    

Bird.

Chan, Crystal.  Bird.  Simon & Schuster/Atheneum  2014  298p  $16.99    ISBN 978-1-4424-5089-9   elem/ms   Realistic fiction       E-BN           

Jewel, born on the day her brother John “Bird” died, has always felt disconnected from her parents and mute grandfather. Her friendship with Eugene and their positive influence on each other, as well as her entire family dynamic, come to a head when he has an accident.     Crystal Chan has penned a most lyrical debut novel in Bird. Set in Caledonia, Iowa, the book tells the story of the life of a family after the death of a treasured son, Jewel’s brother John.  In this beautiful novel, the relationships are drawn vividly, the multiracial nature of Jewel’s family is central without the tone being preachy, and the depths of sorrow are addressed.  The modern western world meets the folkloric traditions of Jamaica.  Compromise between cultures is hard to come by for Jewel’s parents, and this often tears her apart.  Her friend Eugene, a boy who also feels disenfranchised in his family, helps her to cope with many of her problems, and she helps him with his.  The book has many wonderful passages, such as this one, which expresses the silence that seems to wrap this family in the ever present death of John:
 

“I stayed outside for a long time collecting cattails in the ditches, until the twisting sensation inside me relaxed and the darkening sky started thundering on the horizon.  Only then did I walk home with my squishing shoes, feeling quieter, my soul water and growing.”

Summary: Jewel, born on the day her brother John “Bird” died, has always felt disconnected from her parents and mute grandfather. Her friendship with Eugene and their positive influence on each other, as well as her entire family dynamic, come to a head when he has an accident.  

Death-Fiction, Multicultural novels             --Lynn Fisher