Synopses & Reviews
Jorge is trying to learn the ways of his new country. He wants to fit in at school, but he doesn't want to forget his homeland, Mexico. His family is still doing things like they're in the old country, but Jorge wants to find out everything he can about his new country--on the other side of the river. Learning a new language, getting a library card, taking tests, and making friends are challenges for Jorge. Just when Jorge has found a friend in Tim, his life changes once again. Told from the point of view of Jorge, Jane Medina's moving poems vividly depict one boy's struggle to make a new life in a new country.
Synopsis
A Bank Street College of Education Best Children's BookA NCTE Notable Children's Book in the Language Arts The moving poems in this timely, bilingual book for young readers are written in both Spanish and English and are told from the point of view of Jorge, a young immigrant from Mexico who struggles to make a new life in a new country. Poignant and powerful, this award-winning title is a thought-provoking choice to share with children at home or in the classroom, and is an ideal book for children who are learning a new language or navigating between languages.
Jorge is trying to learn the ways of his new country on the other side of the river from his home in Mexico. He wants to fit in at school, but he doesn't want to forget his homeland. His family is still doing things as if they're in their old country, but Jorge is curious to find out everything he can about his new country. Learning a new language, getting a library card, taking tests, and making friends are challenges for Jorge. And just when Jorge finds a new friend in Tim, his life changes once again. Author Jane Medina and illustrator Fabricio Vanden Broeck bring Jorge to life in this timeless, accessible tale.
About the Author
Jane Medina is a teacher and poet. She lives with her husband Pablo and their children, Annie and Joey, in Orange, California.
Fabricio Vanden Broeck is the illustrator of Under the Breadfruit Tree by Monica Gunning, and Torch Fishing with the Sun by Laura E. Williams. He lives in Mexico.