Description

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From the award-winning author of Barefoot Dreams of Petra Luna, Alda P. Dobbs, comes a compelling new novel about building a new life in America. Strong and determined, Petra Luna returns in a story about the immigrant experience that continues to be relevant today.

Petra Luna is in America, having escaped the Mexican Revolution and the terror of the Federales. Now that they are safe, Petra and her family can begin again, in this country that promises so much. Still, twelve-year-old Petra knows that her abuelita, little sister, and baby brother depend on her to survive. She leads her family from a smallpox-stricken refugee camp on the Texas border to the buzzing city of San Antonio, where they work hard to build a new life. And for the first time ever, Petra has a chance to learn to read and write.

Yet Petra also sees in America attitudes she thought she'd left behind on the other side of the Río Grande—people who look down on her mestizo skin and bare feet, who think someone like her doesn't deserve more from life. Petra wants more. Isn't that what the revolution is about? Her strength and courage will be tested like never before as she fights for herself, her family, and her dreams.

Petra's first story, Barefoot Dreams of Petra Luna, was a New York Public Library Book of the Year and a Texas Bluebonnet Master List Selection.

About the Author

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Alda P. Dobbs is as passionate about connecting children to their past, their communities, and nature as she is about writing. Alda lives with her husband and two children outside Houston, Texas.

Praise For…

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"Dobbs’ wrenching debut, about family, loss, and finding the strength to carry on, illuminates the harsh realities of war, the heartbreaking disparities between the poor and the rich, and the racism faced by Petra and her family. Readers will love Petra, who is as strong as the black-coal rock she carries with her and as beautiful as the diamond hidden within it." — Booklist, STARRED review on THE BAREFOOT DREAMS OF PETRA LUNA

"Barefoot Dreams of Petra Luna will draw you in with its raw, evocative setting, and Petra herself will win your heart with her courage, resourcefulness, and unwavering love for her family. Lyrical, heartfelt, and deeply authentic, this book will stay on your mind long after you’ve read the last page." — J. Anderson Coats, award-winning author of The Many Reflections of Miss Jane Deming

"[She] was able to explain the basics of the conflict through the characters’ conversations, and... it’s an historic event that many students will be unfamiliar with and find interesting." — Youth Services Book Review

"This beautifully written and exciting story of a family fleeing during the Mexican revolution offers a new perspective in historical fiction. An excellent addition to all collections" — School Library Journal

"Historical fiction that is as relevant as ever...A timeless and timely tale of one girl’s journey to save her family and discover herself." — Kirkus Reviews

"With vivid and poetic imagery and artfully balanced narrative tension, Dobbs’s assured writing blazes bright, gripping readers until the novel’s last page" — Publishers Weekly, STARRED on THE BAREFOOT DREAMS OF PETRA LUNA

"Brilliant and authentic historical novel about a young woman’s struggle for freedom. Petra Luna’s dream will fill your heart with courage." — Francisco X. Stork, award-winning author of Illegal

"Alda P. Dobbs’ stunning debut novel, set during the Mexican Revolution, recounts one girl’s determination to save her family and follow her dreams. Inspired by the author’s great-grandmother, Barefoot Dreams of Petra Luna is as breath-taking as a shooting star. Although the novel takes place over a century ago, this moving story has a profound resonance today. The lovable characters, swift pacing, and simple yet poetic prose make this a captivating read for middle-graders and their entire families. I adored this book and will be recommending it far and wide!" — Laura Resau, award-winning author of TREE OF DREAMS and THE LIGHTNING QUEEN

"Alda P. Dobbs’ stunning debut novel, set during the Mexican Revolution, recounts one girl’s determination to save her family and follow her dreams. Inspired by the author’s great-grandmother, Barefoot Dreams of Petra Luna is as breath-taking as a shooting star. Although the novel takes place over a century ago, this moving story has a profound resonance today. The lovable characters, swift pacing, and simple yet poetic prose make this a captivating read for middle-graders and their entire families. I adored this book and will be recommending it far and wide!" — Laura Resau, award-winning author of TREE OF DREAMS and THE LIGHTNING QUEEN

"What hunger would you endure, what history would you sacrifice, what hazards would you brave to lead your family through a war? Petra Luna's incredible odyssey in pursuit of her ‘barefoot dreams’ is as vital and perilous and hopeful as that of today's dreamers, who still set off across the desert seeking a better life in America more than a hundred years later." — Alan Gratz, New York Times bestselling author of Refugee

"Barefoot Dreams of Petra Luna is a thrilling, heart wrenching yet hopeful tale of grit and love... Author Alda Dobbs has gifted Petra with great curiosity and a desire to learn and gifted readers with her poetic prose." — Nancy Baenen, Arcadia Books (Spring Green, WI)

"His story is beautiful and captivating. Petra is a character who you will root for all along the way. Her courage is truly astonishing, and I hope that by reading this book, we are all inspired to call on our own inner Petras in order to attain our dreams." — Laure Colodner, Odyssey Bookshop (South Hadley, MA)

"Based on the true story of Dobbs' family's immigration, this is a timely and profound novel about 12-year-old Petra crossing the U.S. border during the Mexican Revolution in 1913." — Alyssa Raymond, Copper Dog Books (Beverly, MA)

"This is a rich historical story will start timely conversations for readers of all ages. But, more than anything, young readers will find themselves drawn to the family story at the heart of the book and inspired by Petra's dreams and determination" — Lady Smith, The Snail on the Wall

"Thought provoking and a surreal look at how things change and stay the same. The characters are so real you feel as though they are friends." — Sue Lacey, Page 158 Books

"Alda P. Dobbs beautifully brings the untold perspective of a young girl living during the Mexican Revolution to light. Even as a book written for young readers, this story will reach the hearts and dreams of readers at any age." — Cat Chapman, Oxford Exchange

"Teachers and librarians may want to use the example of the author's research into the events of the story as a teachable moment when explaining how to study and present information about history." — School Library Connection