![]() ![]() In earnest vignettes, Palacios ( A Way with Wild Things) brings emotional tension to the family’s backstory, clearly portraying the relentless anxiety of one undocumented family’s experience. The ending has an after-school special feel, but Williams’s ( A Thousand White Butterflies) storytelling is otherwise heartfelt and sympathetic, with back matter that provides context and lists support organizations and further reading suggestions. Williams frames the tale of a Haitian boy's struggle to keep a tree alive against the larger story of his country's struggle against poverty. As Enrique’s family takes refuge with relatives to avoid a possible roundup, he learns the full story of the family’s journey to America, and gains a deeper appreciation for their courage. In this story of determination, faith, and love, author Karen Williams introduces readers to the realities of rural life in the mountains of Haiti. Angry and uncomprehending (“You’re always afraid,” he tells his father), Enrique plans to go anyway until a friend’s father is deported after being stopped for a broken taillight. ![]() Enrique’s triumphant winning kick qualifies his soccer team for a tournament, but the 10-year-old faces a barrier to attending: though Enrique was born in the U.S., his family’s undocumented status complicates his passing through an immigration checkpoint, which could end in Mama, Papa, and older sister Rosa’s being deported. ![]()
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