For many people, illegal immigration is a black and white issue-a wrong or right issue. This book helps readers to understand that it is not so black and white. This issue is not as simple as many would like to believe. The book, which follows the illegal journey of fifteen-year-old Victor Flores to the United States, causes the reader to examine their own role in the issue of illegal immigration. As an American, I like cheap prices. However, as the book illustrates cheap prices come with a very high price for others. The book helped me to understand the impact of free trade on people in other countries as no informational article ever could. This story gave a human face to these issues. Not only was it a human face, it was the face of a child. The character of Victor was a kind-hearted, lovable, loyal, strong-yet vulnerable, child. His character created a large amount of empathy within me. His character made me wonder how many real boys there are like him out there. This book tells the stories that the news does not. This story was not only thought provoking, it was also an enjoyable read. The story was full of action, excitement, suspense, and drama. As I read this book, I had to keep turning the pages because I had to know what was going to happen to Victor next. I was rooting for him. I wanted him to be successful, even though his success would mean that he was in this country illegally. My feelings while reading this book reminded me of Huck’s feelings when helping Jim escape from slavery in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Although I was rooting for Victor, I felt a twinge of guilt. As an American, shouldn’t I respect our laws? In The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Huck feels a great deal of guilt. He feels like helping Jim escape is evil, so evil that he will go to hell for it. He feels that way because that is how he was raised. That was the belief system when and where he was living. Today, we read this novel and we know he is wrong. We know it is just the opposite. We know that what he is doing is right and that there is no way he could go to hell for helping Jim earn his freedom. This comparison makes me wonder how people will view our belief system and our laws in a hundred or so years. Will they view us as barbaric as we view the institution of slavery? How is what we are doing today any less evil? Is it not our policies, our lifestyle, and our greed that cause the suffering of others? Have we, as Americans, not created a situation that makes people, including children, so desperate that they would leave their families and risk their lives? Obviously, this book was very meaningful for me. I think that all people should read this book. I will definitely recommend this book to my students and have it available in my classroom for them. If you want something both entertaining and powerful, I highly recommend you pick this book up.
If you are interested in reading about people crossing the border between Mexico and United States, I suggest you read this fiction adventurous book. The fiction adventure is the genre of the book. It was both exciting and sad that the character Rico was going to attempt and cross the wire.The setting is mostly at the border between Mexico and the United States. Rico the main character of the story wanted to go to the United States to be able to sell things to help his family with money. He knew he could get caught by being by the border and could get arrested for ten years but he had to try for his family. He did run to get to the other side and did cross. He was stopped by a police officer and was scared. He didn't know what to say. He was sent back home but the police officer thought he was from the United States. He went to the United States. After selling the things in the United States he tried getting on a train to go back to Mexico. The guards saw him and he had to fight his way back to Mexico. Conflict became person vs person.I was surprised when Rico was going to jump off a moving train and landed perfectly on the ground. That was a cool imagination for me. However, in the middle of the story I got angry with Rico because he told his brother, "I never want to see you again in my life." That to me was mean. I wish that they would of been better brothers. I like the way the author puts so many quotes in the book. It kept me reading. I thought the ending of the book would be boring, but it made me cry because of his family being worried about him doing what he did with crossing the border. They thought they would never see him again. However, he came back to his hometown and realized the risk so he didn't try again. I rate this adventurous book and give it 5 stars because of the quotes it has in it and how real it can be in life. I recommend this book to all my friends who's looking for this kind of literature. It will keep you interested in reading about crossing the border between Mexico and United States. It can seem real.
What do You think about Crossing The Wire (2007)?
Rico leaves for United States without his parents knowing. Victor then has to go in order to support his family. He has a much more difficult expierence because he has no identification and no way of paying the coyotes. Victor was sad because he thought Rico was going to be in La Perra Flaca, but he wasn't. At the end Victor's journey was accomplishing because he got to send the money home to his family. He was also lonely because Rico ended up leaving him. The main theme of this was how to be brave, who to trust, and never lose sight of your goals.This book could be used to teach children about the struggles of immigrating to this country, and the reasons why someone would immigrate from another country.
—Kara Cooney
This book is about a fifteen-year-old boy, Victor, who has to grow up early and become a man in order to save his family from starvation. To do this, he has to make sacrifices and head north in attempt to find work so that he can send money home. The obstacles one must have to overcome to “cross the wire” from Mexico to the United States are increasingly difficult. Victor faces many hardships and encounters different people that make this adventure an opportunity of a lifetime. One major theme of the story is that in order to become a man, Victor must learn to be brave, courageous, and take risks in order to provide for his family in such a time of need. This book could be used to teach students the difference in ethnic cultures as well as the geographical differences in growing up in one country versus another. One activity that could incorporate this book in the classroom is to have the students make a list of the wise sayings said by Victor’s father that are found throughout the book. Then, have the students assume Victor’s voice and write a letter to his father explaining how these sayings and lessons helped him throughout his journey.
—Rachel Ledbetter
tI gave Crossing the Wire five stars because this book is a exciting yet sad. It was about a boy crossing the border to the United States to earn money for his family. This book made you have feeling but also made you think about the stuff you have and what we shouldn’t take for granted. This book was thrilling and also made you think about your friends and what they would do. Crossing the Wire was very addicting and full of suspense.
—Kylie D
