Crossing the Line (Border Town Series #1)

( 2 )

Overview

In Dos Rios, Texas, life is all about borders -- and what happens when you cross the line.

Nothing is simple in a border town like Dos Rios, in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas. Even for high school students Fabiola Garza and her younger sister Alexis, whose parents run a local Tex-Mex restaurant, Dos Rios is full of borders -- where you should go, who your friends should be, which boy you should date.

Dos Rios is also full of opportunities, but ...

See more details below
Paperback
$5.99
BN.com price
Pick Up In Store

Pick Up In Store

Reserve and pick up in 60 minutes at your local store

Other sellers (Paperback)
  • All (43) from $1.99   
  • New (18) from $2.67   
  • Used (25) from $1.99   
Border Town #1: Crossing the Line

Available on NOOK devices and apps  
  • Nook Devices
  • NOOK HD/HD+ Tablet
  • NOOK
  • NOOK Color
  • NOOK Tablet
  • Tablet/Phone
  • NOOK for Windows 8 Tablet
  • NOOK for iOS
  • NOOK for Android
  • NOOK Kids for iPad
  • PC/Mac
  • NOOK for Windows 8
  • NOOK for PC
  • NOOK for Mac
  • NOOK Study
  • NOOK for Web

Want a NOOK? Explore Now

NOOK Book (eBook)
$5.15
BN.com price
(Save 14%)$5.99 List Price
Note: Visit our Teens Store.

More About This Book

Overview

In Dos Rios, Texas, life is all about borders -- and what happens when you cross the line.

Nothing is simple in a border town like Dos Rios, in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas. Even for high school students Fabiola Garza and her younger sister Alexis, whose parents run a local Tex-Mex restaurant, Dos Rios is full of borders -- where you should go, who your friends should be, which boy you should date.

Dos Rios is also full of opportunities, but it's a town divided, between the haves and the have-nots, the Whites and the Mexicans-Americans, the Texans and the Mexicans, the legal and illegal. But through it all, the Garza sisters have each other. Water can be crossed, but blood is the ultimate borderline -- no matter what.

Read More Show Less

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher
Praise for Border Town #1: Crossing the Line

“Packed with action and surprising twists and turns up to the very last page, this start to the new Border Town series is a gripping mystery and also a warm, contemporary Latino drama of extended family and friends… With lots of laughs, especially about small town lack of privacy and about extended family, the drama is both suspenseful and touching.” --Booklist

“A fast-paced, easy-to-read book that Latino teenagers will enjoy to read – mostly because they will see themselves in the pages.” – The Hispanic Reader

Children's Literature - Susan Cotter
When fifteen-year-old Fabiola Garza goes to buy tampons and sees her male Sunday school teacher behind the register, she is sure the new school year in her small town on the Texas side of the border of Mexico is not off to the best start. She is right. Looking forward to mentoring her younger sister as she enters high school, Fabi is dismayed to see Alexis immediately get picked up by the cool crowd. Fabiola is even more upset when she catches her sister giving bad boy Dex Andrews the eye—and Dex giving it right back. Things go from bad to worse when a loyal but illegal employee at Garza's is mugged right outside the family restaurant and handsome cousin Santiago is blamed. Fabi overhears Dex bragging and is sure he is responsible, but how can she prove it? She devises a plan to expose Dex, clear her cousin, and open her sister's eyes all in one fell swoop. Alegria's character sketches are uneven but occasionally brilliant (e.g., the grandmothers). The dialog is sometimes canned. No matter; younger teen readers will enjoy the fast pace of this light, multicultural novel. Spanish-English glossary of terms in back. Part of the "BorderTown" series.
School Library Journal
Gr 6 Up—Fabiola Garza has long since accepted the enmity she feels for Dos Rios High School's popular kids and their troublesome ways. On the first day of school, they seem to stoop to a new level and start befriending her younger sister. Soon Alexis is dating bad boy Dex Andrews. When Chuy, an immigrant from Mexico, is mugged and Fabiola's cousin is accused of the crime, the girl can't help but believe that Dex is behind it. When she overhears him bragging about it to his friends, she becomes determined to prove Santiago's innocence and save her sister from Dex. The characters aren't well developed, but they're likable. The plot moves fairly quickly and has some depth to it. The writing style is smooth and easy to follow. The author does a great job of interspersing Spanish words and phrases without them being intrusive. An adequate choice for fans of urban fiction or those who are interested in books about tensions among various groups.—Kira Moody, Whitmore Library, Murray, UT
Kirkus Reviews
In the first title in the Border Town series, Alegría introduces Fabiola "Fabi" Garza, a Mexican-American teen in the fictitious Texas border town of Dos Rios. Although her best friend, Georgia Rae, moved away over the summer, Fabi is looking forward to a new school year, since she can finally show her younger sister Alexis the ropes at Dos Rios High. Working as a server in her family's Mexican restaurant, Fabi is joined by a colorful cast of friends and familia. Against her sister's advice, Alexis takes up with the popular crowd at school, including football hotshot Dex Andrews. The book quickly takes a darker turn when restaurant employee Chuy is mugged and beaten while covering Fabi's shift. While her parents and others suspect her cousin Santiago, Fabi believes he is innocent, regardless of his past troubles. Meanwhile, Alexis begins lying to her family to spend more time with Dex and resenting Fabi's sisterly advice. Overhearing someone bragging at a party about mugging undocumented immigrants, Fabi believes she knows who robbed Chuy. After Santiago ends up in jail, Fabi realizes she has to reveal what she knows. The author sprinkles Spanish words naturally in the text, tackles timely issues without preaching and provides enough light moments to balance the tone. A welcome entry into the teen market, especially for Bluford Series fans. (glossary) (Fiction. 12-18)
Read More Show Less

Product Details

  • ISBN-13: 9780545402408
  • Publisher: Scholastic, Inc.
  • Publication date: 5/1/2012
  • Series: Border Town , #1
  • Pages: 192
  • Sales rank: 281,571
  • Age range: 12 years
  • Lexile: 680L (what's this?)
  • Product dimensions: 4.28 (w) x 6.64 (h) x 0.56 (d)

Meet the Author

Malín Alegría is the author of Estrella’s Quinceñera and Sofi Mendoza’s Guide to Getting Lost in Mexico. She currently lives in San Francisco, CA, where she teaches, writes, and spends as much time as possible playing in the dirt. Visit her online at www.malinalegria.com.

Read More Show Less

Customer Reviews

Average Rating 5
( 2 )
Rating Distribution

5 Star

(2)

4 Star

(0)

3 Star

(0)

2 Star

(0)

1 Star

(0)

Your Rating:

Review Guidelines
Add Recommendations
Your Name: Create a Pen Name or

Barnes & Noble.com Review Rules

Our reader reviews allow you to share your comments on titles you liked, or didn't, with others. By submitting an online review, you are representing to Barnes & Noble.com that all information contained in your review is original and accurate in all respects, and that the submission of such content by you and the posting of such content by Barnes & Noble.com does not and will not violate the rights of any third party. Please follow the rules below to help ensure that your review can be posted.

Reviews by Our Customers Under the Age of 13

We highly value and respect everyone's opinion concerning the titles we offer. However, we cannot allow persons under the age of 13 to have accounts at BN.com or to post customer reviews. Please see our Terms of Use for more details.

What to exclude from your review:

Please do not write about reviews, commentary, or information posted on the product page. If you see any errors in the information on the product page, please send us an email.

Reviews should not contain any of the following:

  • - HTML tags, profanity, obscenities, vulgarities, or comments that defame anyone
  • - Time-sensitive information such as tour dates, signings, lectures, etc.
  • - Single-word reviews. Other people will read your review to discover why you liked or didn't like the title. Be descriptive.
  • - Comments focusing on the author or that may ruin the ending for others
  • - Phone numbers, addresses, URLs
  • - Pricing and availability information or alternative ordering information
  • - Advertisements or commercial solicitation

Reminder:

  • - By submitting a review, you grant to Barnes & Noble.com and its sublicensees the royalty-free, perpetual, irrevocable right and license to use the review in accordance with the Barnes & Noble.com Terms of Use.
  • - Barnes & Noble.com reserves the right not to post any review -- particularly those that do not follow the terms and conditions of these Rules. Barnes & Noble.com also reserves the right to remove any review at any time without notice.
  • - See Terms of Use for other conditions and disclaimers.
Search for Products You'd Like to Recommend

Recommend other products that relate to your review. Just search for them below and share!

Create a Pen Name

Your Pen Name is your unique identity on BN.com. It will appear on the reviews you write and other website activities. Your Pen Name cannot be edited, changed or deleted once submitted.

 
Your Pen Name can be any combination of alphanumeric characters (plus - and _), and must be at least two characters long.

Continue Anonymously
Sort by: Showing all of 2 Customer Reviews

  • Anonymous

    Posted November 20, 2012

    Cool

    BEST HIGH SCHOOL BOOK IN THE WORLD
    I READIT AND IT WAS AWESOME

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Anonymous

    Posted October 25, 2012

    Love it

    Its like the best high school book ever

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.
Sort by: Showing all of 2 Customer Reviews
If you find inappropriate content, please report it to Barnes & Noble
Why is this product inappropriate?
Comments (optional)