By Jessica Lee Anderson.
Minneapolis, MN: Milkweed Editions, 2009. 174 pp. $17.00 (Hardcover). ISBN 978-1-57131-689-9.
Grades 7 and up.
English with some Spanish.
Fifteen-year-old Manz is content to spend his summer working on a cattle ranch with this best friend Jed. Although the work is hot, the job is a great escape from his mother’s depression, which seeps into every corner of their house. Unfortunately, it isn’t long before the biracial teen begins to hear voices telling him to beware La Migra who want to ship him back to Mexico as part of Operation Wetback. These voices, which Manz deems as The Messenger, convince him that he can trust no one as they are all working for the Operation. Anderson provides readers with a glimpse into the downward spiral that engulfs the teen as he drowns in voices that only he can hear. With very few books representing mental illness, particularly paranoid schizophrenia, in the Latino community, this is an important addition to the young adult collection of most libraries.
Recommended.
Naidoo, J. C. (2010). Border Crossing. Written by Jessica Lee Anderson. REFORMA Newsletter, 28(1/2), 19.
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