Welcome to the monthly children’s book review feature with a focus on diverse books here at Bird Meets Worm! My team of reviewers—Joan Charles, Laurie Young, Sarah Orgill—and I are so excited to be championing books celebrating everything from gender diversity, people of color, the LGBTQ community to ethnic, cultural and religious minorities, people with disabilities and developmental challenges to controversial topics, unique family situations and anything and everything I did not include. It is to say we take a rightfully broad view of diversity! We aim to shine a light on books that bring both familiar experiences to those who do not often see themselves represented in books and new experiences to those looking to expand their worldview. Here at Bird Meets Worm we believe in the power of story to build empathy and thus a better world for you and me and everyone. Look for a new review on the second Wednesday of every month.
EFRÉN DIVIDED
By Ernesto Cisneros • Jacket art by Jay Bendt • Jacket Design by David DeWitt
Middle Grade (ages 8-12) • 272 pages
Published by Harper: An imprint of HarperCollins Publishers • 2020
ISBN 9780062881687
A beautiful, important book that is already making the long lists of 2020 Newbery contenders.
Efrén’s hard-working parents can’t provide much in the way of material comforts in their tiny, studio apartment—but he and his younger twin siblings, Max and Mia, always have nutritious food, clean, pressed clothes, and abundant love. Efrén is an A-student and star athlete who has never been late to school. Up until now, his biggest problem was finding a quiet place to read.
But all that changes when his mother is caught up in an ICE raid and deported to Mexico. Now his father has to work two jobs to raise money to try and bring her back, and twelve-year-old Efrén becomes the main caretaker of his five-year-old siblings. In Ama’s absence, Efrén has to make sure they are all fed, dressed and get to and from school each day, all while dealing with the fear that his undocumented father may also become a target of ICE.
This is a heartbreaking and very timely story about what happens to a family when a parent is deported, and the new normal their American-born children must face. The writing is simple and direct, but the emotional punch is profound and lasting.
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Reviewed by: Laurie Young