Elisa Stone Leahy

Imagine walking a fine line between feeling like a normal seventh grader and suddenly having to walk on egg shells at home. Wendy still feels a sense of loss and betrayal stemming from her closest friend disappearing following an ICE raid in the town where they used to live. The party line at home is that her parents, her brother, and Wendy are all legal US citizens. But if that's true, why is everyone suddenly paranoid? Does the young woman, Luz, who has sought sanctuary in the church by their home create new tension?. The longer Luz remains and protests supporting her go on, the tenser things become.
Add in that Wendy is in love with astronomy, but is paired with a white boy who turns out to be a bully and has a sinister connection with the man who seems to be terrorizing her parents, a hijacked science project, and a perfect storm of crises affecting her family, and you have a highly readable story of what it's like to decide that taking a stand is far more important than trying to remain invisible.
This deserves a spot on all library shelves.… (más)

There are so many things I love about this middle-grade book! My favorite aspect is the close love shared by Wendy's family. Mama, Papa, older brother Tom and Wendy are all so beautifully connected, even though they each keep secrets from the other family members. The family has recently moved to a new town, and Wendy and Tom know they are supposed to live quietly without drawing any attention to their family. They aren't sure why, but they suspect it involves ICE officers and families disappearing in their previous town. It is hard for the children to obey the family rules when there is a contest at the library Wendy is intensely interested in. The prizes are all astronomy-related, and astronomy is Wendy's great love. She even claimed she was named after Wendy Freedman, the astronomer, which was in no way true. There is also a science fair at school that will have a judge from the Ohio State University Astronomy Department, and they might be scouting for candidates for a junior internship program at the planetarium!
The book contains bullying, protests, immigration issues, and discrimination within the context of an American-Latino family. Ms. Leahy's tone when dealing with middle-school characters and their circumstances feels authentic. So, too, do her adult characters and their concern for their children. My only caveat for the novel is the ICE officer. He is nasty and looking for opportunities to harass Latinos. This felt too easy to me. I understand that immigration is a central topic in the story, but his character felt slightly over the top. As the book continued, though, the ICE officer's character came together more, and I didn't feel it was a big issue.
Another thing I loved about the novel is the caring shown by the community. The book had many bad things, but so much love shone throughout that one had to feel hopeful for the characters.
This is a wonderful read for middle-school students and anyone older. There are many great lessons to be learned from Ms. Leahy's writing.
Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins Books, Quill Tree Books for the ARC of this enjoyable and educational book.… (más)