La Linea [Paperback]

Ann Jaramillo (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 10 and up | Grade Level: 7 and up

Miguel has dreamed of joining his parents in California since the day they left him behind in Mexico six years, eleven months, and twelve days ago. On the morning of his fifteenth birthday, Miguel’s wait is over.
     Or so he thinks. The trip north to the border—la línea—is fraught with dangers. Thieves. Border guards. And a grueling, two-day trek across the desert. It would be hard enough to survive alone. But it’s almost impossible with his tagalong sister in tow.
     Their money gone and their hopes nearly dashed, Miguel and his sister have no choice but to hop the infamous mata gente as it races toward the border. As they cling to the roof of the speeding train, they hold onto each other, and to their dreams. But they quickly learn that you can’t always count on dreams—even the ones that come true.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 5 Up-Six years ago, Miguel and Elena's mother and father left Mexico and crossed la línea into California. On the morning of Miguel's 15th birthday, he receives a note from his father telling him that it is time for him to join them. Miguel is sad to leave his grandmother and sister behind, but is excited about being reunited with his parents. Unbeknownst to Miguel, Elena, 13, disguises herself and joins him on the difficult journey. They are robbed, threatened, and almost perish in a desperate trek across the desert. The pacing of the plot is quick and driven, and the characters are realistically drawn. They interact as true siblings do, sometimes with love and sometimes not. Cultural and geographical background information is expertly woven into the novel. The author creates a mood of desperation and anxiety as the story unfolds and Miguel and Elena discover that crossing la línea will forever change the way they look at themselves and the world. Although the epilogue illuminates their lives as adults, the novel ends abruptly, leaving readers without the anticipated emotional release of their reunion with their parents.-Melissa Christy Buron, Epps Island Elementary, Houston, TX
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Booklist

*Starred Review* Gr. 5-8. When Miguel, 15, leaves San Jacinto, Mexico, to join his parents in California, his sister, Elena, 13, secretly follows him. Together with their guides they barely survive a harrowing journey through the desert and across la linea, the border. A gripping contemporary survival adventure, this spare first novel is also a heart-wrenching family story of courage, betrayal, and love. The harsh facts of the border crossing are immediate--the horrors of dehydration, the soldiers' violence, corruption, and the migrants' terrifying, often disastrous attempts to hop the trains. Miguel's first-person narrative tells it without romanticism. The young people are brave, but they are angry at each other and at their parents, who left them seven years before. They do make it, but always there is the reality of those who do not. Jaramillo teaches migrant kids in California, and in her final notes, she says her story is fiction, but it is based on real events. Spanish is a natural part of the text; there is no glossary, and no need for one. Add this to the list of books in the Core Collection: "The New Immigration Story" in the August 2005 issue of Booklist. Hazel Rochman
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 10 and up
  
• Paperback: 144 pages
• Publisher: Square Fish; First Edition edition (July 22, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312373546
• ISBN-13: 978-0312373542
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.5 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #60,280 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #2 in Books > Children's Books > Travel & Cultures > Explore the World > Mexico

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Insightful look at immigrants, March 12, 2007

By 

P. Fraser "Pam bookwoman" (Santa Rosa, CA. USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: La Linea (Hardcover)

The author has written a book that is both fast paced and heartbreaking as it tells the story of two young people who take the risk of illegally crossing the border. Leaving their grandma's Mexican home to make the dangerous journey north to be reunited with their parents, the two experience the fear and danger that any illegal immigrant must feel. The characters that they meet and the experiences that they have are told in a manner that you do not want to put this book down. You root for them as they experience fear, hunger, thirst and exhaustion. This was a real eye opener for me. I strongly recommend this book to anyone who works with immigrants. A great selection for school libraries.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Fascinating and Gripping Look at Undocumented Immigration from a New Perepective, August 3, 2007

By 

Juan Ulloa (Imperial Valley, California) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: La Linea (Hardcover)

Two young peole risk their lives to reunite their family, and in the process learn the strength and depth of their own resilience, their love for each other, and their place in the world.
An easy read, a simple story, about 8th grade level, through the eyes of two youngsters, without preaching. Charming and enlightening. I loved it!

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Exciting story, important topic, November 27, 2006

By 

Gimme A. Book (San Francisco, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: La Linea (Hardcover)

La Linea is a real page-turner... This vivid telling of the perilous events faced by Mexican children trying to reach the United States every day will at once fascinate, horrify, and keep you on your toes. The exciting plot is backed up by complex characters to whom readers will instantly relate. Miguel and Elena are classic young teens, loving and seeking approcal from their elders even as they struggle to assert their individuality. Jaramillo has created a book that will be devoured by young adults and older readers alike, particularly those with a blossoming interest in multicultural issues or human rights.