Haverhill Public Library

The street belongs to us, Karleen Pendleton Jiménez ; illustrated by Gabriela Godoy

eng

illustrations

no index present

8 and up

novels

The street belongs to us

1193036803

Karleen Pendleton Jiménez ; illustrated by Gabriela Godoy

"A sweet middle-grade chapter book about two best friends who transform their torn-up street into a world where imaginations can run wild. In 1984 Los Angeles, Alex is a tomboy who would rather wear her hair short and her older brother's hand-me-downs, and Wolf is a troubled kid who's been wearing the same soldier's uniform ever since his mom died. They set their worries aside when their street is torn up by construction machines and transformed into a muddy wonderland with endless possibilities. To pass the hot summer days, the two best friends seize the opportunity to launch a gleeful street war against the rival neighbourhood kids. But when Alex and Wolf make their headquarters inside a deep trench, Alex's grandmother warns them that some buried things want to be found and some want to stay hidden. Although she has the wisdom of someone who has survived the Mexican Revolution, the Spanish Flu, and immigration to a new country, the kids ignore her warning, unearthing more than they bargained for. The exuberant and expressive black-and-white line drawings by Gabriela Godoy perfectly capture the summers of youth, when anything feels possible and an adventure is always around the corner. Bursting with life and feeling, both the people and the land come alive in a tale interwoven with Mexican-American identity, experience, and history. The Street Belongs to Us is a story of family, friendship, and unconditional acceptance, even when it breaks your heart."--, Provided by publisher

juvenile