After Peaches

by Michelle Mulder

Overview

Ten-year-old Rosario Ramirez and her family are political refugees from Mexico, trying to make a new life in Canada. After being teased at school, Rosario vows not to speak English again until she can speak with an accent that's one hundred percent Canadian. Since she and her parents plan to spend the whole summer working on BC fruit farms, she will be surrounded by Spanish speakers again. But when her family's closest friend Jose gets terribly sick, Rosario's plans start to unravel. Neither Jose nor Rosario's parents speak English well enough to get him the help he needs. Like it or not, Rosario must face her fears about letting her voice be heard.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781554694327
Publisher:	Orca Book Publishers
Publication date:	10/01/2009
Series:	Orca Young Readers
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	120
File size:	611 KB
Age Range:	8 - 11 Years

About the Author

Michelle Mulder is the founding author of and has written numerous titles in the Orca Footprints series including Pedal It!, Every Last Drop, Trash Talk and Home Sweet Neighborhood. They have also written several works of fiction including The Vegetable Museum and Not a Chance. Michelle lives in Victoria, British Columbia.

Read an Excerpt

Cold fear twisted in my stomach. I couldn't argue now, not with José lying on the ground, shaking, while Mamá and Marcos tried to hoist him up. But how could I talk to the patrón? A man who yelled at his workers about any little thing would never listen to a kid, especially a kid whose English was sure to come out all wrong. It always did when I was nervous or upset. And yelling the names of vegetables in Spanish wasn't going to help me one bit this time.

Editorial Reviews

"An inspirational read for any child who is learning a second language."

Canadian Children's Book News

"After Peaches has strong educative potential as a tool for introducing and discussing the experiences of New Canadians. Moreover, the novel is an interesting and engaging read that might better help children to understand the topic and its complexity than the typical type of resources that teachers might otherwise employ. Recommended."

CM Magazine

"An excellent, gripping premise."

St. Albert Gazette

"The author's portrayal of immigrant life is convincing. The reader will sympathize with Rosie, and see the courage in making and learning from mistakes…Recommended."

Library Media Connection

"The book doesn't avoid introducing its young readers to real-life issues...Maintain[s] narrative unity and avoids sentimentality and self-righteousness in its depiction of the exploitation of immigrant workers."

Canadian Literature

"Written in first person with clarity and understanding, this chapter book reflects the experiences and emotions of the many immigrant children who work to fit in despite sometimes feeling ill at ease in their new countries…Handsome jacket art and a sturdy paperback format make this quietly appealing narrative an attractive choice."

Booklist

"Written in first person with clarity and understanding, this chapter book reflects the experiences and emotions of the many immigrant children who work to fit in despite sometimes feeling ill at ease in their new countries…Handsome jacket art and a sturdy paperback format make this quietly appealing narrative an attractive choice."

Booklist

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FACES Magazine