Bound To Stay Bound

School Library Journal - 05/01/2017 Gr 6–8—In a collection of 12 tales, readers hear fictionalized narratives of young Latinos drawn from news stories. The selections represent a variety of children from diverse countries of origin and include standard prose as well as the poetic "Pickup Soccer" and the musical "Cubano Two." The entries highlight issues that some Latinos face, such as problems with food and obesity, cultural identity, the deportation of relatives, the quest to obtain legal status, and prejudices some have toward fellow Latinos from different backgrounds. While these stories offer an interesting cross section of the Latino experience, there is a preponderance of sad and serious tales (with topics that include a sister who bullies, an epileptic seizure mistaken for a criminal attack, and the death of a parent). Spanish words are sprinkled throughout and defined in the back, and refranes (sayings) introduce each piece. The author's mixed-media portraits accompany each entry, and the original articles that inspired each offering are listed and discussed. VERDICT This welcome update to short story collections such as Gary Soto's Baseball in April and prose alternative to Alma Flor Ada's Yes!: We Are Latinos is a solid addition to libraries and would also add much-needed diversity to classroom study.—Karen Yingling, Blendon Middle School, Westerville, OH - Copyright 2017 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.

Booklist - 07/01/2017 *Starred Review* Three-time Pura Belpré Award honoree Delacre offers up 12 short stories, beautifully written with candor, honesty, and perfect brevity, that explore what it means to be a Latinx in the U.S. today. These finely wrought and uniformly well-written stories, many based on true incidents, portray the wide range of cultural and geographic diversity within the Latinx community. They feature both male and female main characters and cover topics such as police abuse, the prevalence of prediabetes in the Latinx population, and the misconception that all Latinos are dark-skinned and poor. Many of the stories deal with community dynamics—how an unassuming member can make an indelible impression, Saturday school language classes, and bullying and family dysfunction—while others address larger social issues, such as guardianship related to deportation and immigration, unaccompanied minors crossing borders, and the 2012 DREAM Act. Delacre illustrates as well, providing a gorgeous mixed-media portrait of each story’s main character, and a glossary of Spanish words and phrases, organized by story, concludes the book. Delacre’s lyrical writing perfectly expresses what the characters are experiencing, and each story’s ending is honest and satisfying, if sometimes open-ended—much like real life. A collection not to be missed. - Copyright 2017 Booklist.