Kata Campos’s family is torn apart, separated by the trials of slipping across the border from Mexico illegally. With her father missing and her mother gravely wounded, she has to learn to adjust to her confusing and dangerous new life and look out for her little brother at the same time.
Across the Great River is an exciting tale of a young girl maturing and taking on the leadership role in her family. The family’s experiences with labor smugglers, crime, a folk hero, and the authorities are all told with the innocence and directness of a young girl who must face the harshness of life at an early age.
“…the story is an affecting coming-of-age tale, young Kata’s narrative is direct and, though written in English, its cadence evokes a sense of the Spanish language.”—Booklist
“Irene Beltrán Hernández’s Across the Great River… will capture the interest of young readers… A compelling portrait of people working against the odds to ensure a better life for themselves and their children.”—The San Francisco Chronicle
IRENE BELTRÁN HERNÁNDEZ’s other novels for young adults include The Secret of Two Brothers and Heartbeat Drumbeat. In her writing, Ms. Hernández draws upon long experience in counseling “at-risk” teens as a caseworker with the city of Dallas.
ATOS Interest Level: Lower/Middle Grades
Category: Intermediate Reader
ATOS English: 4.3
Accelerated Reader Quiz #: 34991
