Beast Rider

Manuel is a twelve-year-old Mexican boy who risks his life to join his brother in Los Angeles and embarks on a dangerous journey by means of freight trains in order to cross the US border illegally. Manuel must face serious obstacles such as injury, hunger, detention by police, and numerous dangerous encounters with ill-intentioned characters. This adventurous story of a young boy’s resilience and motivation to reconnect with his brother could be used to supplement social justice and geopolitical conversations in a Grade 6–8 classroom. It is also appropriate for extension activities around non-fiction explorations of immigration or refugee experiences.