One night, young Amada overhears her parents whisper of moving from Mexico to the other side—to Los Angeles, where greater opportunity awaits. As she and her family make their journey north, Amada records her fears, hopes, and dreams for their lives in the United States in her diary. How can she leave her best friend behind? What if she can't learn English? What if her family never returns to Mexico?
From Juárez to Mexicali to Tijuana to Los Angeles, Amada learns that with her family's love and her belief in herself, she can make any journey and weather any change—here, there, anywhere.
Amada Irma Perez was a teacher for 25 years before she wrote her first book. Born in Mexico, she came to the United States with her family when she was a young child. An author, speaker, and leading advocate of programs encouraging multicultural understanding Amada has been honored with various awards for her children’s books. She lives with her husband and children in Ventura, California.
Maya Christina Gonzalez is a celebrated artist and illustrator. She has illustrated nearly 20 books for children, many of which have won awards. Her classroom workshops encourage students and teachers to always be fearless in creating art. Maya lives, paints and plays in San Francisco, California.
• 2004 Pura Belpré Honor Award
• 2002 Américas Award Commended Title
“Pérez captures the essence of the trauma of moving to a new place that is universal to all children, but here it is expanded by the facts of her immigrant experience. Gonzalez, . . . packs her lively pages with vibrant, jewel-toned color and vivid images, illuminating the text and adding the richness of the culture. A nice touch is the back of the book jacket, which is a map of the area, showing the route from Amada's old home to the new one. Pérez has plainly remembered her grandmother's advice: ‘Keep your language and culture alive in your diary and in your heart.’ Very nicely done.” —Kirkus Starred Review
"Breathtaking throughout are Gonzalez's illustrations, which blaze with color and capture both the hilariously mundane details of life, such as the antics of Amada's unruly brothers, and the imagination's terrain." —The Horn Book Magazine
"This poignant, bilingual story of a young girl's journey to an unfamiliar new home . . . is more than an immigrant's tale. It sympathetically explores the fear many children have of the unknown and their sorrow at leaving the familiar behind. . . it's comforting whether you're moving to a new town or to a new country. . . Wonderfully illustrated by Maya Christina Gonzales, in warm-hued paintings with a childlike sensibility. The book's uplifting ending reassures children that they, too, can deal with the new and unknown. Grade: A" —Orange County Register
