"It's true, though.
Isn't it?
Maybe we can help.
You can't tell anyone. And
it's only temporary ... until
I can get back on my feet.
I have things under control ...
I've been looking for a job.
Promise."
Their story begins in the principal's office at Conrad Middle School. Five Latinx students have been called in to talk about the events of April 18. They don't know why they are there, and assume they are in some kind of trouble. Their story is told from five distinct perspectives. The first assumptions made is that they are all Mexican, and that they don't speak English.
Neither is true. George (the brain) is of Puerto Rican descent; Sara (the loner) is Mexican; Dayara (the tough kid) is Cuban; Miguel (the athlete) is Dominican; and Nico (the rich kid) is Venezuelan. As they tell their stories, readers learn about the challenges they are facing in their own lives outside of school. George is placed with 'students like you' when he is assigned community service hours helping Mrs. Grouser in the school's cafeteria. Though George does not speak Spanish fluently, he is assigned to be the translator for the group. They work together but don't know much about the others.
While on the playground together, they meet a young woman and her daughter near the fence. They discover that the two are homeless and set out to help in any way they can. Of course that means breaking some of Mrs. Grouser's ridiculous rules. They must decide for themselves if helping is worth becoming more visible in a setting that makes ungrounded assumptions about them because of how they look.
In her first graphic novel, Ms. Gonzalez creates complex and exceptional characters who are much more that who everyone assumes they are. The text is written in Spanish and English; the format is accessible and inspiring. Readers will relate to some of the issues they face. The focus of Ms. Epstein's expressive artwork is on the five and their personal stories, as well as the interactions between them. Together they find community far beyond what others expect of them and realize that they can make an important difference.
The twist at the end makes it an even more satisfying read.
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