Fifteen-year-old Efraín and his two younger brothers live in a house on the hillside in Monterrey, Northern Mexico. They are left to fend for themselves after their mother is wrongly arrested for theft. Má has raised her boys to keep out of trouble with the local gangs and to study for their future, but they are viewed by society as good-for-nothings or criminals simply because of where they live. The only people offering any kind of support are the local gang members - but everything comes with a price tag.---from the publisher
226 pages 978-1913109349 Ages 13-17
Keywords: survival, gangs, believing in yourself, brothers, social issues, values, 13 year old, 14 year old, 15 year old, 16 year old, Latino, diverse books, Social Studies Curriculum, social class
Editor's Note: This title is on the Global Literature in Libraries Initiative Translated Young Adult Book Prize Short List 2025
