After Peaches

December 15, 2009
Grades 3-5 Ten-year-old Rosario wants to be excited about her friend Julias plan to write books about their upcoming summer experiences, but as a recent Mexican immigrant to Canada, she doesnt speak or write English well. Besides, who would want to read about a girl working in the flower fields with her parents? Embarrassed by her imperfect English, Rosario secretly resolves not to speak the language aloud until she has it mastered. When a Mexican migrant worker has a medical emergency, though, his life depends upon her speaking English to the hospital staff. Written in first person with clarity and understanding, this chapter book reflects the experiences and emotions of the many immigrant children who work to fit in despite sometimes feeling ill at ease in their new countries. The book concludes with an authors note on migrant farm workers and a glossary of Spanish words. Handsome jacket art and a sturdy paperback format make this quietly appealing narrative an attractive choice.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2009, American Library Association.)