Stranger

April 1, 2011
Grades 8-11 Returning to the barrio where he was born, 16-year-old Ernesto misses his life in L.A., and starting a new school isnt easy eitherhe doesnt think he fits in, and his father is the new history teacher. On the plus side, he meets cute classmate Naomi; begins to earn money for a car; gets his drivers license; makes new friends; and joins the track team. Yet difficulties arise when he suspects that Naomi is being abused by boyfriend Clay, and he becomes the target of Clays anger and jealousy. This accessible stand-alone prequel to Dark Secrets (2010), also an Urban Underground book, is set against a backdrop of Latino culture and sometimes-edgy urban life and incorporates teen-resonant social issuesgang violence, school dropouts, and how ones actions and attitudes can impact othersas well as the importance of kindness and support. Although the characters can be types, Ernestos an appealing, compassionate protagonist, who through his challenges and dilemmas remains determined to pursue his dreamsand the girl of his dreamswhile gaining a new sense of belonging and home.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2011, American Library Association.)