Words By: Mariana Llanos | Art By: Anna López Real
When a young boy is forced to leave the United States with his family, he uses music and his imagination to keep his connection to home alive.
Luca has never lived outside the U.S., but when his parents receive a letter in the mail, the family must pack up and leave home for a foreign land. Together in their car, Luca, his brother Paco, and their parents head across the border to Mexico where his parents were born. Luca doesn’t understand why he must leave the only home he’s ever known, his friends, and his school. As he struggles through lonely and disorienting times, he leans on music, memory, and familial love for support.
An award-winning bilingual picture book that highlights the difficult situations families of mixed legal status face, and the emotional toll it takes on children caught in the middle. This updated edition includes a new author’s note.
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Cuando un niño se ve forzado a abandonar los Estados Unidos junto a su familia, él usa la música y su imaginación para mantener vivo el vínculo con su hogar.
Luca nunca ha vivido fuera de los Estados Unidos, pero cuando sus padres reciben una carta por correo, la familia debe empacar y dejar su hogar rumbo a una tierra ajena. Juntos en su auto, Luca, su hermano Paco y sus padres se dirigen a la frontera con México, en donde los padres de Luca nacieron. Luca no entiende porqué debe abandonar el único hogar que él ha conocido, sus amigos y su escuela. Mientras batalla estos momentos de confusión y soledad, se refugia en la música, en sus recuerdos y en el amor de su familia.
Un aclamado libro ilustrado bilingüe que destaca la difíicil situación en la que se encuentran familias con estatus migratorio mixto, y el peso emocional que causa en los niños atrapados en el medio. Esta edición actualizada incluye una nueva nota de la autora.
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A 2020 ALSC Notable Children's Book
A 2020-21 Tejas Star Reading List Selection
A 2020 Rhode Island Latino Book Award Nominee (Grade K-2)
A 2020 Premio Campoy-Ada (Mencion de Honor-Narrativa Infantil)
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"This bilingual book illustrates how Mexican immigrant families risk everything when they cross the border into the United States in search of a better life. An essential addition to any bilingual collection."—School Library Journal
"Together, the narrative and images offer hope for readers experiencing this difficult situation and empathy for those who aren’t. Back matter includes an author’s note further discussing deportation." —Booklist
"Told in alternating English and Spanish, El puente de Luca is the timely tale of a family’s resiliency, strength, and devotion as they are voluntarily deported from the United States to Mexico. Emotions run high as Luca struggles to understand why he must leave his home and everything he’s ever known. Surreal images in shades of gray with golden accents surround Luca as he finds solace in his dreams and the music of his trumpet.” —Foreword Reviews
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Themes:
Bilingual, Dual Language; Immigration & Emigration, Deportation, Separation, Mexico, Multigenerational families; Magical Realism; Internal Struggle; Journey; Authentic Author; Authentic Language; Imagination Stories; Hispanic/Latino; Include Teaching Resources; Picture Book for Older Readers
