Across the Great River [Paperback]

Irene Beltran Hernandez (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 10 and up | Grade Level: 5 and up

young-adult novel focussed on illegal immigrants

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 5-10-- Kata is nine or ten when her father decides to leave Mexico and try for a better life in the United States. During their attempt to cross the Rio Grande, her father is lost and her mother wounded. After her mother recovers and finds a job in town, Kata is haunted by dreams of the unsavory man who helped the family cross the river. Sure enough, he turns up, beats up the woman who cared for Kata and her brother while their mother healed, beats and rapes Kata's mother, and is conveniently killed, thus allowing the plot to meander into state custodial care for the kids and a happy reunion in Mexico for Kata's family, suddenly enriched by the discovery of a rock bearing a plenitude of gold nuggets. The issues that Hernandez attempts to deal with are ones that could surely use exposure: labor smugglers, the harshness of Mexican life that causes people to emigrate to United States, the dashed hopes, the confusion of dealing with the authorities on both sides of the river. Unfortunately, the book never rises above the level of the sort of Mexican soap opera one hears on Spanish language stations. People shriek and clutch each other to various bosoms with stultifying regularity. Tears flow in buckets, and love triumphs equally noisily. The plot relies heavily on coincidence, and the fairy-tale ending results in a neat bypassing of the problems that face those entering the United States in hopes of a better life. The inherent drama of the situation could have yielded a fine story. As it is, students might be better advised to look to nonfiction treatments of the trials immigrants face. --Ann Welton, University Child Development School, Seattle
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

"... an affecting coming-of-age tale, young Kata's narrative is direct and...its cadence evokes a sense of the Spanish language." -- Booklist

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 10 and up
  
• Paperback: 136 pages
• Publisher: Arte Publico Pr (May 1989)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0934770964
• ISBN-13: 978-0934770965
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.5 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,503,077 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A young girl & her family illegally cross into Texas., June 22, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Across the Great River (Paperback)

This book is an exciting tale of a young girl maturing and taking on the leadership role in her family when her parents become separated while illegally crossing the Mexican border into Texas. The family's experiences with smugglers, a folk healer, Tex. social services and the authorities are told with an innocense and directness by ten-year old Katarina Campos who must find a way to survive in a strange country. Though written in English, its cadence evokes a sense of the Spanish language. Recommended reading for elementary, middele school, Esl, and high school reders. This book gave me insight into dangers and fears encountered by children who must follow their parents decisions not understanding why they must endure the ordeal and hardship. I made my teen age daughter read it immediately. Great for adults as well. Loved the folklore.

3.0 out of 5 stars Across The Great Book, November 13, 2005

By 

Dream Dreamer "Dream" (Boogy Down Bronx) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Across the Great River (Paperback)

This is a very good book. I feel that Kata's perspective is a very direct one. I could connect to her. When my Social Studies told us we had to read it I really thought it was going to be boring. I was wrong. I recommend this book to all people of all ages because I feel that there is a character that every one could relate to.

2.0 out of 5 stars a story to believe, February 24, 2005

By 

edgar23 "edgar" (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Across the Great River (Paperback)

This book is a little unbelieve 'cause i had heard some stories about crossing the board but never one like this one. This book can give an opinion to believe or not on it. Read it, it may give you a different prespective of this story like the one you passed (if you crossed the great river).

edgar23