(2) YA Illustrated by Jacoby Salcedo. In this graphic novel with supernatural elements, high-achieving teenager Mateo has grown up in Phoenix, Arizona, and only learned recently that his family was undocumented. After the family's deportation to Mexico, Mateo's parents arrange for him to attempt a border crossing through the Sonoran Desert so he can finish high school in the U.S. and achieve his goal of going to college. Mateo's stubbornness leads him to trek out alone, disregarding the warnings of the guide hired to help him cross. A ghost who died on his own crossing, a jaguar, and a Tohono O'odham nurse help Mateo to have a chance of survival. His experience provides a powerful glimpse into the physical and emotional burdens some young people carry with regard to legal status and their sense of home. Armstrong crafts symnpathetic characters whose stories (which include candid depictions of the violence of border crossings) thoughtfully introduce readers to the complexities and inequities surrounding immigration. Salcedo's propulsive sequential art sets the scene for Mateo's dangerous voyage, combining with the text to convey the range of perils that migrants face from the elements, border patrol, and vigilantes. Mateo finds strength by helping others and honoring the sacrifices of the millions of migrants who trod the sand before him.

Reviewer: Nicholas A. Brown | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2023