82 pages • 2 hours read
Alexandra DiazA modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more. For select classroom titles, we also provide Teaching Guides with discussion and quiz questions to prompt student engagement.
Jaime often thinks the events of the novel, starting with Miguel’s death, are his fault. Are they? Why or why not?
Imagine you were in Jaime’s situation at the beginning of the novel. Would you have chosen to take the uncertain road north or to stay with your family and join the Alphas?
Explain the roles that Padre Kevin and El Gordo play in the novel. Are they good characters? Bad characters? Why?
In Chapter 16 Rafa steals gum and cigarettes from a man who refuses to pay him for some work. Is it ever OK to steal? Why or why not?
Compare the immigration officers Jaime encounters in the novel. How are they different? The same? Does working for immigration make a person bad?
Several times, characters trade on other people’s suffering for their own financial gain. Are their actions moral? Immoral? Why?
Write an essay from the perspective of the tourists Jaime and Ángela encounter in Ciudad Juárez. What did the tourists see when they interacted with the cousins?
The characters in the novel are often hungry and pass the time remembering favorite meals. Write an essay about how food connects to culture and family.
Action & Adventure
View Collection
Books About Art
View Collection
Books About Race in America
View Collection
Cuban Literature
View Collection
Diverse Voices (Middle Grade)
View Collection
Family
View Collection
Hispanic & Latinx American Literature
View Collection
Juvenile Literature
View Collection
Realistic Fiction (Middle Grade)
View Collection
Spanish Literature
View Collection
The Journey
View Collection