Twelve-year-old Efrén Nava is a twelve-year-old boy whose parents are undocumented immigrants from Mexico. When his mom is deported, Efrén is left to take care of his younger siblings, struggling to help his mother and manage the complex responsibilities that have fallen on his shoulders. A story of perseverance in the face of many obstacles and of a community banding together, this book lends itself well as a themed literature circle option, as a whole-class novel or for an independent novel study in a Grade 6–12 classroom.