This vibrantly illustrated book shows Areli, a DACA dreamer, as she moves to New York from Mexico. Areli faces bullying and stereotyping from children at school and learns that there are differences between her and her brother(a U.S. citizen). This book shows the beauty of Mexico and the U.S. and talks about the history of immigrants and Ellis Island. I would use this book in first or second grade to talk about immigration because of its nice tie to Ellis Island as well as the idea of a memoir. ( )

The author begins with a note, in which she informs readers that she was a Mexican citizen by birth but raised as an American since she was six. She is also a Dreamer, one of the children affected by the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program enacted by President Barack Obama. She explains:

“Through DACA, many Dreamers like me, who came to the United States as children, could remain in the country, have the opportunity to work legally, and even apply for a driver’s license.”

Her application to be a Dreamer was approved in 2013, and she “was finally able to come out of the shadows [from her uncertain legal status] and focus on [her] dreams.”

But the DACA program is constantly in danger of being cancelled, and Dreamers and aspiring Dreamers live in fear. She writes: “I decided to share my story in this book so that young readers could begin to understand what people like me have gone through.”

She begins by describing her life back in Mexico, living with her grandmother, and eagerly anticipating Sundays when her mama and papa would call from America. One day they called to say they had enough money to bring her brother Alex to New York. Finally it was her turn. But she would miss her Abuela and her friends, and when she got to New York, her parents looked different. New York was not like her home in Mexico - it was bigger and faster and noisier.

She couldn’t even speak English, and schoolmates taunted her. She had to work very had to overcome all the obstacles in her path. But by the fourth grade, she could fit in. In the fifth grade, her class took a trip to Ellis Island, where so many immigrants had come before her. There she learned “Almost every one of us has family that came to this country from a foreign land.” Areli “felt like she was part of something very big.”

That night, Areli writes, she dreamed of what she might do someday: “She might be a writer and tell her story. She might be a teacher and help children who found themselves in this new land. ‘I could do anything here,’ Areli said to the city sky. ‘Someday, I will.’”

Back matter includes a small glossary and a dedication, “To immigrant families, especially my own, for the sacrifices they make to give us a shot at a better life.”

Notably, in an interview, Areli said:

“I became fully aware of my undocumented status at a very young age and was struck with fear when I realized that everything could be taken away at any moment if I spoke about my first home. For many years I kept my status a secret because I thought my silence would keep my family safe and united. It was a challenge to find the courage to break out of that silence and write my story down on paper. It feels liberating to share my true story and meet new people that share similar experiences.”

Illustrator Luisa Uribe uses a muted palette and cartoon-like illustrations to help tell Areli’s story.

Evaluation: This touching story will help children who are natural-born citizens better understand some of the hurdles kids have to jump through who weren’t born in the US but were brought over by parents who wanted them to have a brighter future. ( )

A true story, this book is so so valuable in the classroom. I think for students I will be teaching it will either be a familiar concept, or students will have no idea about DACA, either way it is so real, and needs to be talked about. ( )

Summary: True story of Areli, who moved to the States at a young age because her parents wanted the family to have a better future. However, conflict arises with her limitation in English and how she misses her family back in Mexico.

Goodreads Review:
In the first picture book written by a DACA dreamer, Areli Morales tells her own powerful and vibrant immigration story.

When Areli was just a baby, her mama and papa moved from Mexico to New York with her brother, Alex, to make a better life for the family--and when she was in kindergarten, they sent for her, too.

Everything in New York was different. Gone were the Saturdays at Abuela's house, filled with cousins and sunshine. Instead, things were busy and fast and noisy. Areli's limited English came out wrong, and schoolmates accused her of being illegal. But time passed, and Areli slowly became a New Yorker--although not an American citizen. I could do anything here, Areli says one day to the city sky. Someday, I will.

This is a moving story--one that resonates with millions of immigrants who make up the fabric of our country--about one girl living in two worlds, a girl whose DACA application was eventually approved and who is now living her American dream.