The Other Side: Stories of Central American Teen Refugees Who Dream of Crossing the Border by Juan Pablo Villalobos, Rosalind Harvey
Published by Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR) on September 10, 2019
ISBN: 0374305730
Pages: 160
Genres: Biography/Autobiography
Format: Chapter Book Nonfiction
Goodreads

Advertised for grades 7 and up

This is a wonderful narrative non-fiction book that relates short snippets of life and its hardships of eleven teenagers as they try to escape the horrors of their present situations.  Wonderfully written, it is a very easy read, showcasing many stories of abuse, poverty and hardship, but also hope and love.

The young refugees telling their stories are highlighted in the back of the book, with a summary and update of their current situation. This adds so much depth and honesty to the book.  It also has a glossary which explains the local terminology that we might not be familiar with, such as; Salvatrucha, or the MS-13, one of several gangs in the US and El Salvador; mara is a gang, mareros are gang members; La Bestia (the train of death) is the network of freight trains crossing Mexico; and other terms used in the book.  A Further Reading section in the back also provides websites and organizations for young people to explore to find out more about refugees and migrants.

.I highly recommend this book to all ages wanting to hear fresh stories of the realism of the U.S – Central American refugee crisis.  Finally, it does not (thankfully) talk at all about the U.S. current administration or politics of immigration. We just hear the stories of the refugees themselves, and their hopes and dreams of a better life.

Reviewed By Irene Hall, Witherle Memorial Public Library, Castine