A gutwrenching and impossible-to-put-down book about a teen’s desperate attempt to leave his home in Honduras to reunite with his mother who illegally entered the United States.

Not always an east book to read. The journey these children make is incredibly dangerous. Even with making it to America. ( )

This book is a junior version of the Pulitzer Prize winning book written for adults. It tells the story of Enrique, a young Honduran boy who was left behind when his mother went to the U.S. to make money to send back to him and his sister. He waited for years for her to return and finally decided to make the journey to be with her. On the eighth try, he managed to connect with her. It only took 122 days and the journey totaled over 12,000 miles. Along the way he was beaten up and robbed by gangs, caught by immigration officers in Mexico and returned home. He met brutal resistance but also amazingly kind and generous people along the way.

The writing style of this book is made so that the story can reach a wider audience of young people. I did not read the original published as a series of articles in the Los Angeles Times. The investigation the author undertook for this tale is truly amazing. She rode on the top of the trains and met people along the way to understand the full story.

It was an intimate look into the lives of desperate people. ( )