July 18, 2023 by HarperAlley
Copy provided by Young Adult Books Central
Mateo lives with his parents in Guadalajara, Mexico, but his family has decided that he will travel over the border to live with his grandmother in Phoenix in order to attend high school there. His parents caution him to be careful, provide him with a well stocked back pack and instructions, and arrange for him to travel with a man named Juan Xavier over the dessert. Juan is overly cautious about when they can leave, since he feels the border patrol has been too active, but Mateo is anxious to get to the US, so heads out without the group. Sure enough, the border patrol chases him, and he loses his backpack that had a map in it. When a ghost, named Guillermo, appears to him, he thinks he is hallucinating. He's in a bad way, but the ghost wants to help. Seventy years ago, Guillermo also tried to get across the border, but died. Ever since, he's stayed in the desert, trying to help other immigrants get to safety. Mateo doesn't trust his help, either, and when he arrives at a water aid station only to find it vandalized, he passes out. Luckily, he is found by Darcie, a nurse who lives on the Tohono O'odham land and helps people in trouble in the desert. Mateo recuperates and sets out again with a backpack Darcie provides. This time, he listens to Guillermo. Guillermo had been a bracero, who came to the US with his father to pick crops when men were off serving in WWII and farmers needed help. He met and fell in love with Felipe, but was deported back to Mexico when the war was over. He died trying to get back to Felipe. There are plenty of challenges in the desert, including a jaguar who seems to have a strange connection to Mateo and doesn't kill him. We learn more about Mateo's circumstances as well. Mateo tries to give Guillermo the last rites at the site of his death, thinking this might help his spirit move on, but it doesn't. This is a good thing, because Mateo is found by the border guards, who are also menacing a family. Will Mateo be able to help them, put Guillermo's spirit to rest, and get to Phoenix in time for school?
This was an interesting look at the problems that immigrants from Mexico have long had in getting to the US. I did not know about braceros, so Guillermo's story was fascinating. I love the contrast between Guillermo, with his collared shirt tucked into belted pants, and his hat, and Mateo with his hoodie! There is a lot of good information about the kind of horrible treatment that the border control and self styled vigilantes mete out to immigrants who are trying to get to the US to improve their lives.
The artwork is engaging, and the panels are very atmospheric, making the desert seem very vivid. Guillermo's portrayal as a vague outline is well done, and I enjoyed Mateo's initial confusion. Not to spoil too much, but there is a happy ending for the helpful ghost!
There is a lot of danger and death; this is listed as a Young Adult title. I think it would be fine for older middle school students who have some background knowledge about the problems with immigrating from Mexico, but elementary students would need some support when reading this.
This is aptly blurbed by David Bowles, who wrote They Call Me Güero and They Call Her Fregona, and offers another look at immigration similar to Cisneros' Efrén Divided, Salazar's Land of the Cranes, Giff's Until I Find Julian and Diaz's Santiago's Road Home. For more information about the jaguar mentioned in the book, pick up Collard's 2023 Border Crossings.
First published 1937
Copy provided by Young Adult Books Central
In prewar Tokyo, young Honda Jun'ichi, nicknamed Copper, lives with his mother in a modest suburban home after the death of his banker father. His uncle, a lawyer, lives nearby and spends a lot of time with him. At school, Copper has some good friends, including Mitzutani and Kitami. Copper is small for his age, academically inclined, and introspective, but doesn't have the makings of a class leader because he is also mischievous. His mother doesn't reprimand him because she wants him to keep his spirits up since he doesn't have a father. Copper notices that a classmate, Uragawa, is not treated well by his classmates. They call the unkempt, tired boy "Fried Tofu" because his family runs a small shop, and he often has to work there, where he picks up the distinctive odor. Copper isn't quite sure how he can help the boy, and instead spends his time playing with his friends, sometimes giving radio broadcasts of baseball games based on newspaper reports, or writing letters to his uncle filled with musings about subjects as diverse as supply chain management and Newtonian physics. When Uragawa is out sick, he travels to visit his classmate, and helps him catch up. He starts to understand that not everyone has the advantages that he does, and he asks his uncle what he can do. His uncle, who was instructed by Copper's father to make sure that he became a good person, that Copper should "become a person truly useful to the world". This is hard, but Copper applies himself to his studies, enjoys being with his friends and his uncle, and thinks about his position in the universe. When older schoolmates pick on Kitami, the boys all promise to support their friend, but Copper finds himself unable to move or speak when Kitami is in trouble. This bothers him so much that he eventually becomes ill. When he seeks his uncle's advice, he writes a letter of apology to his friend, and everyone eventually forgives him. It is all part of learning how to be a good human being, and Copper is lucky to be surrounded by a supportive network that can show him how to accomplish this.
This was an oddly fascinating book, being republished because it is being turned into a movie by the famed filmaker Hayao Miyazaki, who lists this as his favorite childhood book. It reminded me most of Lewis' 1942 The Screwtape Letters, another philosophical treatise on humanity and coduct of life. This also is indicative of the time it was written; children's books from this period of time tend to highlight good behavior and veer into the didactic.
Modern readers will enjoy this look into Tokyo of the past, where having "just" a nanny and a maid meant that one had come down in society. I was so enthralled with the depiction of the houses that I tried to look up the areas on Google Earth, but I imagine most of what was mentioned in the book has long since vanished. The charming Western style mansions along the coast, Uragawa's small shop in a crowded alley, and the view of the Ginza shopping district from the top of a building have all probably given way to high rise buildings. How wonderful that we have Yoshino snap shot of them.
I'm not quite sure who the audience for this is, since the scenes of Copper and his friends are slowed down by the discussions of philosophical material, but it is a charming book. The message is fantastic, and one which I tried to encourage in my own children. Perhaps this would make an interesting read aloud, so that younger readers could take the opportunity to discuss Copper and his musings with someone older.
Glad you enjoyed both of these books. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
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