Libertad

By Alma Fullerton

Book Overview

With their father gone to America to make money for his family, Libertad, his little brother Julio and their mother scrape a living out of a dump in Guatemala City. Although it is too late for him, Libertad is determined that his little brother should go to school. Taught to play the marimba by his father, Libertad uses his talent as a street musician to raise enough money for his brother's school supplies. But his dreams for their future are destroyed when their mother is killed in a freak accident. Libertad must face the inevitable truth; they cannot survive on the streets of Guatemala City alone. There is only one thing to do. They must set out on the long and lonely journey to the Rio Grande River, where they plan to cross the water and enter the United States to find their father.

A moving story about determination and hope, Libertad is a stunning free verse novel by the author of In the Garage and Walking on Glass.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1554551064
• ISBN13: 9781554551064
• Release Date: June 2008
• Publisher: Fitzhenry & Whiteside
• Length: 224 Pages
• Weight: 0.54 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 5.2" x 7.7"
• Age Range: 10 to 13 years
• Grade Range: Grades 5 to 8

Customer Reviews

Enchanting Review: Libertad

LIBERTAD ALMA FULLERTON MG contemporary Rating: 4 Enchantments Libertad and his brother Julio live near the Guatemala City Dump. After the death of their mother, the brothers decide to go to America to search for their father. They have to survive on their own on the long and dangerous journey to the states not knowing if they will find their father but longing for libertad--freedom from the garbage. This story gives readers a glimpse of the lives of two children who live across the border and what they have to do in order to find their long lost father. As a former bilingual teacher, I often heard similar tales from my student's families of the struggles and hardships of trying to cross the border. My own family was migrants from the interior of Mexico. I heard many stories too while growing up. Fullerton paints an accurate portrayal of the harsh lives of those who struggle to come to American. The rhythm of this story pulls the reader along as Libertad and his brother encounter others who either try to take advantage of them or show acts of kindness. We see the street children of Mexico City, the allure of sniffing glue to forget, and the fear of la migra--immigration police. Fullerton states in the back of her book that over 80,000 unaccompanied migrant children attempt to enter the United States. This is a fact. I saw this as a bilingual teacher in an L.A. county school. This book is a must read. If anything to get a taste of what others go through in their search for libertad. Alma Fullerton was born in Ottawa and grew up in a large military family. She's lived all over Canada and in Europe and now resides in Ontario with her husband and two daughters. Check out more at www.almafullerton.com Kim ENCHANTING REVIEWS October 2008

A winner

LIBERTAD is a beautiful and haunting book with a strong streak of hope. I loved it.