His commentary on the effects of European imperialism is commendable although brief.Ī tropical action-filled adventure with heart. The unnamed explorer does add some vibrancy to the book and commands attention despite the lush backdrop. Max has brief moments of wisdom in between bouts of tears or unbridled joy.

Fred, Lila, and Con give voice to their fears at every step, from climbing trees to facing down wild animals. The children are not as colorful, unfortunately. The sounds, smells, flora, and fauna are vivid and tangible in the mind. He refuses to give his name, but will he refuse to help them get home? Rundell breathes character into the Amazon rain forest. Among the ruins they meet a mysterious man. In their handmade raft the crew travels down the river, through murky and clear waters, until they rediscover a lost city. When Fred stumbles upon an old map, they decide to follow it to the X. Together they search for shelter and forage for edible fruits and larva. They are Fred, a tall, white English boy, biracial Brazilian siblings Lila and 5-year-old Max, and a pale, white English girl, Constantia. But even as Efrén’s world seems to be crashing around him, Cisneros celebrates the kindness of the Mexican American community and its richness of food, culture, and resilient spirit.Ī crash-landing in the Amazon leaves four children stranded in the deep jungle. Debut author Cisneros paints a vivid and palpable #ownvoices picture of the lost childhoods as children and parents are separated due to immigration issues. Taking care of Max, whose oxygen supply was cut off during childbirth and has learning disabilities, and figuring out which friends and adults to trust with his secret add layers of responsibility Efrén feels unprepared to deal with. Unsure of how much information about his mother’s fate to give them, Efrén tries his best to make Amá’s miracles his own as he struggles to keep his siblings safe, feed them, and take them to school while still dealing with his own schooling. When his father takes on a second job to make ends meet, Efrén becomes the primary caregiver for Mía and Max, his younger twin siblings. His neighbor Doña Chana tells him that an ICE raid was conducted at the supermarket and that Amá was picked up and deported to Mexico.

Twelve-year-old Efrén Nava’s world is turned upside down the day he comes back from school and his mother is nowhere to be found. A young boy must become an adult overnight when his mother is deported.

Efrén Divided by Ernesto Cisneros