Still Dreaming / Seguimos soñando

By Claudia Guadalupe Martínez, Magdalena Mora, Luis Humberto Crosthwaite
Hardcover: $20.95

A 2023 Pura Belpré Illustrator Award Honor

In the first children’s book to describe the long-forgotten chapter of US history known as Mexican Repatriation, a boy and his family leave their beloved home to avoid being separated by the government.

En el primer libro infantil que describe el capítulo olvidado de la historia de los Estados Unidos conocido como la Repatriación Mexicana, un niño y su familia dejan su amado hogar para evitar ser separados por el gobierno.

Description

Faced with the prospect of being separated from each other, a young boy and his family make the difficult decision to leave their home and begin a journey filled with uncertainty. On the road, they meet other people like them. Families with deep roots tied to the land. Others that helped build the railroads. Some were shop owners and factory workers. Each with similar hopes and dreams.

Historians estimate that between 1930 and 1940, two million people living in the United States were forcibly removed and sent to live in Mexico. Telling this story from a child’s perspective, award-winning author Claudia Guadalupe Martínez lyrically recounts this often-overlooked period of United States history–Mexican Repatriation. Emotive illustrations by Magdalena Mora convey this poignant tale of longing for home and permanence, which reflects many of the dreams and hopes of people today.

Ante la perspectiva de ser separados, un niño y su familia toman la difícil decisión de dejar su hogar y emprender un viaje lleno de incertidumbre. En el camino, se encuentran con otras personas como ellos. Familias con raíces profundas atadas a la tierra. Otros que ayudaron a construir los ferrocarriles. Algunos eran dueños de tiendas y trabajadores de fábricas. Cada uno con esperanzas y sueños similares.

Los historiadores estiman que entre 1930 y 1940, dos millones de personas que vivían en los Estados Unidos fueron sacadas a la fuerza y enviadas a vivir aMéxico. Contando esta historia desde la perspectiva de un niño, la galardonada autora Claudia Guadalupe Martínez relata líricamente este período de la historia de los Estados Unidos a menudo pasado por alto: La Repatriación Mexicana. Las emotivas ilustraciones de Magdalena Mora transmiten esta conmovedora historia de añoranza por el hogar y la permanencia, que refleja muchos de los sueños y esperanzas de la gente de hoy.

About the Creators

Claudia Guadalupe Martínez

Claudia Guadalupe Martínez has called Mexico and the US home. Her core childhood memories are set in El Paso, Texas. This dynamic of growing up between borders inspires her writing. She is the recipient of two Texas Institute of Letters Best Young Adult Book Awards, a Paterson Prize for Books for Young People, an Américas Award Commendation, a Junior Library Guild Award, and multiple starred reviews. She now lives with her family in Illinois. You can find her at claudiaguadalupemartinez.com.

Magdalena Mora

Magdalena Mora is an illustrator and graphic designer with a special interest in children's books and visual storytelling. She illustrated Equality's Call and I Wish You Knew. When not drawing, she spends her free time reading, people-gawking, and trying to find the best tacos in the Twin Cities--mostly the latter. She lives in Minneapolis. You can see more of her work at magdalenamora.com.

Luis Humberto Crosthwaite

Luis Humberto Crosthwaite was born in Tijuana, Mexico. A journalist and jefe at a small press called Yoremito, he has also worked on a number of highly acclaimed translations such as Olor a perfume de viejita and Still Dreaming/Seguimos Soñando. Whoever looks into his heart would see the Pacific Ocean--ah, those beautiful sunsets! He lives with his family in the same town that he was born.

Awards

  • Notable Books for a Global Society 2022

    International Literacy Association (ILA)

  • Pura Belpré Illustrator Award Honor 2023

    American Library Association (ALA)

  • ALSC Notable Children's Books 2023

    American Library Association (ALA)

  • Southwest Books of the Year 2023

    Pima County Public Library

  • Best Children's Books of the Year in Spanish 2023

    Bank Street College of Education

  • Junior Library Guild Selection

    Junior Library Guild

  • Américas Award Commended Title 2023

    Consortium of Latin American Studies Programs

Reviews

  • "A heartfelt, moving story full of moments of worry and fear but also love and warmth. With eyes focused on an uncertain future, this young protagonist never loses hope."

    - Guadalupe Garcia McCall, author of All the Stars Denied
  • "Lyrical... The boomerang-shaped narrative reflects the cruelty of forcing a family to resettle twice simply to stay together, and the soft washes of color in Magdalena Mora's illustrations — no harsh lines, no sharp borders — swim with nostalgia and hope, a landscape where the boy's memories are painted across the sky and his dreams of return find an echo in the migratory path of monarch butterflies."

    - The New York Times
  • "Martínez's straightforward text and Mora's signature smudgy yet vibrant illustrations bring to life a story that reminds us that little has changed in U.S. history, as immigrant families still face deportation and the fear of separation.A tale about a specific moment in history that is nevertheless universal."

    - Kirkus Reviews
  • "Butterflies—a contemporary symbol of the immigrants' rights movement—are included on most pages. This motif and the author's note contextualize the historically set narrative within the continued struggle for immigrants' rights."

    - The Horn Book
  • "Martínez saves most of the specific historical details for the author's note, instead focusing on the contributions of Mexicans and Mexican Americans."

    - Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

Hardcover

  • ISBN 9780892394340
  • Price $20.95
  • Publication Date Oct 11, 2022
  • Trim Size 8.25 × 10.5 in
  • Weight 1 lbs
  • Page Count 40
  • Interests

  • Imprint Children's Book Press
  • Audience Children
  • BISAC Category 1 JUV / Historical / United States / 20th Century
  • BISAC Category 2 JUV / People & Places / United States / Hispanic & Latino
  • BISAC Category 3 JUV / Family / Multigenerational
  • Themes Bilingual, Discrimination, Dual Language, Families, Fiction, History & Civics, Latinx / Latino / Hispanic, Overcoming Obstacles, Respect / Citizenship, Spanish, United States History
  • Reading Levels

  • Age Range Ages 6 - 9
  • Grade Range Grades 1 - 4
  • Guided Reading Q
  • Spanish Guided Reading Q
  • ATOS Book Level 3.3
  • Spanish ATOS 3.2
  • DRA 40
  • Interest Level Grades 2 - 6
  • Reading Level 4
  • Bebop Reading Fluent
  • This Book is Included in These Collections:

    ADA Site Compliance-Accessibility Policy