Don't Ask Me Where I'm From
First-generation American Latinx Liliana Cruz does what it takes to fit in at her new nearly all-white school. But when family secrets spill out and racism at school ramps up, she must decide what she believes in and take a stand.
Liliana Cruz is a hitting a wall--or rather, walls. There's the wall her mom has put up ever since Liliana's dad left--again. There's the wall that delineates Liliana's diverse inner-city Boston neighborhood from Westburg, the wealthy--and white--suburban high school she's just been accepted into. And there's the wall Liliana creates within herself, because to survive at Westburg, she can't just lighten up, she has to whiten up. So what if she changes her name? So what if she changes the way she talks? So what if she's seeing her neighborhood in a different way?
But then light is shed on some hard truths: It isn't that her father doesn't want to come home--he can't... and her whole family is in jeopardy. And when racial tensions at school reach a fever pitch, the walls that divide feel insurmountable. But a wall isn't always a barrier. It can be a foundation for something better. Liliana must choose: Use this foundation as a platform to speak her truth, or risk crumbling under its weight.
"A funny, perceptive, and much-needed book telling a much-needed story." --Celeste Ng, author of the New York Times bestseller LITTLE FIRES EVERYWHERE
"Written with humor and grace, with intimacy and empathy, DON'T ASK ME WHERE I'M FROM is the perfect coming of age novel for our time." --Matt Mendez, author of BARELY MISSING EVERYTHING and TWITCHING HEART
Target age group 13 to 17
Liliana Cruz is a hitting a wall--or rather, walls. There's the wall her mom has put up ever since Liliana's dad left--again. There's the wall that delineates Liliana's diverse inner-city Boston neighborhood from Westburg, the wealthy--and white--suburban high school she's just been accepted into. And there's the wall Liliana creates within herself, because to survive at Westburg, she can't just lighten up, she has to whiten up. So what if she changes her name? So what if she changes the way she talks? So what if she's seeing her neighborhood in a different way?
But then light is shed on some hard truths: It isn't that her father doesn't want to come home--he can't... and her whole family is in jeopardy. And when racial tensions at school reach a fever pitch, the walls that divide feel insurmountable. But a wall isn't always a barrier. It can be a foundation for something better. Liliana must choose: Use this foundation as a platform to speak her truth, or risk crumbling under its weight.
"A funny, perceptive, and much-needed book telling a much-needed story." --Celeste Ng, author of the New York Times bestseller LITTLE FIRES EVERYWHERE
"Written with humor and grace, with intimacy and empathy, DON'T ASK ME WHERE I'M FROM is the perfect coming of age novel for our time." --Matt Mendez, author of BARELY MISSING EVERYTHING and TWITCHING HEART
Target age group 13 to 17
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CategoryYoung Adult Fiction
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Age Group13 to 14 yrs
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Grade Level6-8
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LanguageEnglish
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BindingHardcover
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Theme 1Social, Personal & Family Topics
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Detailed (BISAC) Subject/ThemeEmigration & Immigration
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Awards
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Authorde Leon, Jennifer
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Lexile Level590 HL
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AR Level4.2
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DeweyFiction
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PublisherSimon & Schuster
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Publication Date8/18/2020
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Pages336
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Dimensions1.2 H × 8.3 L × 5.7 W
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Case Qty36
