Efrén Divided

by Ernesto Cisneros

Overview

Winner of the Pura Belpré Award!

“We need books to break open our hearts, so that we might feel more deeply, so that we might be more human in these unkind times. This is a book doing work of the spirit in a time of darkness.” —Sandra Cisneros, author of The House on Mango Street 

Efrén Nava’s Amá is his Superwoman—or Soperwoman, named after the delicious Mexican sopes his mother often prepares. Both Amá and Apá work hard all day to provide for the family, making sure Efrén and his younger siblings Max and Mía feel safe and loved.

But Efrén worries about his parents; although he’s American-born, his parents are undocumented. His worst nightmare comes true one day when Amá doesn’t return from work and is deported across the border to Tijuana, México.

Now more than ever, Efrén must channel his inner Soperboy to help take care of and try to reunite his family.

A glossary of Spanish words is included in the back of the book. 

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780062881687
Publisher:	HarperCollins Publishers
Publication date:	03/31/2020
Pages:	272
Sales rank:	70,472
Product dimensions:	5.60(w) x 8.30(h) x 1.10(d)
Lexile:	710L (what's this?)
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

Ernesto Cisneros was born and raised in Santa Ana, California, where he still teaches. Efrén Divided is his first book. He holds an English degree from the University of California, Irvine; a teaching credential from California State University, Long Beach; as well as a master of fine arts in creative writing from National University. As an author, he believes in providing today’s youth with an honest depiction of characters with whom they can identify. The real world is filled with amazing people with diverse backgrounds and perspectives. His work strives to ref lect that. You can visit him online at www.ernestocisneros.com.

Editorial Reviews

★ 01/27/2020

As affecting as it is timely, Cisneros’s debut depicts how draconian U.S. immigration policies rip through one Southern California family. At the novel’s start, the Nava family lives a hardworking, loving existence—American-born Efrén, the seventh-grade narrator, is mostly concerned with the upcoming school election. But when his undocumented mother is deported after an ICE raid one afternoon, Efrén must care for his five-year-old siblings, one of whom has a learning disability, while his father works extra hours for funds to bring his mother back from Mexico. Cisneros tells this urgent story with focus and heart-wrenching realism, especially concerning the ripple effects of family separation, not just at the border but also among those in the U.S. Cisneros layers in stories of other deportees, underlining the importance of taking part in change as he portrays a community rallying around its most vulnerable members. (Efrén’s burnt-out history teacher shares cautionary tales of past exclusionary practices via Martin Niemöller’s “First they came for the socialists” poem.) If Efrén seems to shoulder burdens beyond his years with alarming maturity, he mirrors many children in this country who are forced to grow up fast. Ages 8–12. Agent: Deborah Warren, East West Literary. (Mar.)

Publishers Weekly

Authentically told, and interwoven with hope, strength, and beauty, Efrén Divided is true to life and all too timely. A must-read for anyone with a heart. This book is a gift to the world.

Sarah Scheerger

This book broke my heart as much as it lifted it!

Aida Salazar

A golden door into crucial conversations we need to have in our classrooms about equity and human rights.

NoNieqa Ramos

"This timely middle-grade novel will not only open dialogue with children on the issue of immigration but also encourage conversations on the subjects of kindness, empathy, and activism. A moving novel perfectly pitched to its audience."

Booklist (starred review)

In Efrén Divided, Cisneros tells the story of children grown up too quickly and families unfairly separated. Efrén’s heartbreaking situation fills the reader with justified rage and empowering hope. This book is a call to not take the world as it is, but to fight for the world as it should be.

Adrianna Cuevas

A beautifully told and important book that offers readers a heart-wrenching and authentic glimpse into today’s immigration policies. Cisneros handles the timely subject matter with heart, depth and authenticity, leaving readers like me hopeful and determined to make this world a better place for all children.

Angela Cervantes

A moving portrayal of the shame, fear, and uncertainty of a family ripped apart by deportation. Efrén Divided eloquently defines how color doesn’t matter.

Aimée Medina Ca

We need books to break open our hearts, so that we might feel more deeply, so that we might be more human in these unkind times.  I felt the author was asking each of his readers to be more human, that we were being called to be our own heroes, just as the protagonist is being asked this.  This is a book doing work of the spirit in a time of darkness.

Sandra Cisneros

“Efrén Divided can be counted among those books that will inspire young people to action, activism and change in their communities.”

 e.E. Charlton-Trujillo

"Cisneros ably conveys for a young audience what life can look like for the working poor, and how fear, embarrassment, mistrust, and desperation become variables in the calculus of seeking help."

Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

02/28/2020

Gr 5–7—A timely story of one boy's fight to reunite his family, save a friendship, and stand up for justice. Efrén's favorite spot to read is the bathtub—when he wants to hide from his twin siblings, that's where he retreats, though the smell of Amá's delicious sopes always has a way of drawing him out. To Efrén, Amá is a Soperwoman! Living undocumented in the United States, Amá and Apá both work hard to provide a better life for their children. Although their apartment is small and money is tight, Efrén knows he has a lot to be thankful for. But one day everything changes. When he arrives home from school, Amá is gone. She has been deported. Stepping in to care for his siblings while Apá works overtime, Efrén tries to channel Amá's superpowers. But when teachers and friends notice something is wrong, will Efrén find the courage to share the truth? Efrén's story is not uncommon. In the last few years, the news has become saturated with headlines about deportations and separated families. Cisneros provides a heart-wrenching and evocative glimpse of what one family's life might look like on both sides of the border. Using down-to-earth characters and authentic scenarios, he tells a story of resilience, strength, and love. VERDICT In a time full of divisiveness and unknowns, this resonant title will inspire young readers to make a difference, no matter the hardships they face.—Rebecca Redinger, Lincoln Park Branch, Chicago Public Library

School Library Journal

★ 2019-11-05
A young boy must become an adult overnight when his mother is deported.

Twelve-year-old Efrén Nava's world is turned upside down the day he comes back from school and his mother is nowhere to be found. His neighbor Doña Chana tells him that an ICE raid was conducted at the supermarket and that Amá was picked up and deported to Mexico. When his father takes on a second job to make ends meet, Efrén becomes the primary caregiver for Mía and Max, his younger twin siblings. Unsure of how much information about his mother's fate to give them, Efrén tries his best to make Amá's miracles his own as he struggles to keep his siblings safe, feed them, and take them to school while still dealing with his own schooling. Taking care of Max, whose oxygen supply was cut off during childbirth and has learning disabilities, and figuring out which friends and adults to trust with his secret add layers of responsibility Efrén feels unprepared to deal with. Debut author Cisneros paints a vivid and palpable #ownvoices picture of the lost childhoods as children and parents are separated due to immigration issues. But even as Efrén's world seems to be crashing around him, Cisneros celebrates the kindness of the Mexican American community and its richness of food, culture, and resilient spirit.

Honest and tender: a must-read. (Fiction. 8-13)

Kirkus Reviews

"Debut author Cisneros paints a vivid and palpable #ownvoices picture of the lost childhoods as children and parents are separated due to immigration issues. But even as Efrén's world seems to be crashing around him, Cisneros celebrates the kindness of the Mexican American community and its richness of food, culture, and resilient spirit.Honest and tender: a must-read." — Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

"As affecting as it is timely, Cisneros’s debut depicts how draconian U.S. immigration policies rip through one Southern California family... Cisneros tells this urgent story with focus and heart-wrenching realism, especially concerning the ripple effects of family separation, not just at the border but also among those in the U.S." — Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"This timely middle-grade novel will not only open dialogue with children on the issue of immigration but also encourage conversations on the subjects of kindness, empathy, and activism. A moving novel perfectly pitched to its audience." — Booklist (starred review)

"In the last few years, the news has become saturated with headlines about deportations and separated families. Cisneros provides a heart-wrenching and evocative glimpse of what one family’s life might look like on both sides of the border. Using down-to-earth characters and authentic scenarios, he tells a story of resilience, strength, and love. In a time full of divisiveness and unknowns, this resonant title will inspire young readers to make a difference, no matter the hardships they face." — School Library Journal (starred review)

“Authentically told, and interwoven with hope, strength, and beauty, Efrén Divided is true to life and all too timely. A must-read for anyone with a heart. This book is a gift to the world.” — Sarah Scheerger, author of Operation Frog Effect

“This book broke my heart as much as it lifted it!” — Aida Salazar, critically acclaimed author of The Moon Within & Land of the Cranes

“A beautifully told and important book that offers readers a heart-wrenching and authentic glimpse into today’s immigration policies. Cisneros handles the timely subject matter with heart, depth and authenticity, leaving readers like me hopeful and determined to make this world a better place for all children.” — Angela Cervantes, award-winning author of Gaby, Lost and Found and Lety Out Loud

“In Efrén Divided, Cisneros tells the story of children grown up too quickly and families unfairly separated. Efrén’s heartbreaking situation fills the reader with justified rage and empowering hope. This book is a call to not take the world as it is, but to fight for the world as it should be.” — Adrianna Cuevas

“A moving portrayal of the shame, fear, and uncertainty of a family ripped apart by deportation. Efrén Divided eloquently defines how color doesn’t matter.” — Aimée Medina Ca, author of River of Love

“A golden door into crucial conversations we need to have in our classrooms about equity and human rights.” — NoNieqa Ramos, Author of The Disturbed Girl’s Dictionary and The Truth Is

“Efrén Divided can be counted among those books that will inspire young people to action, activism and change in their communities.” —  e.E. Charlton-Trujillo, Author, Filmmaker, NCO Co-Founder

“We need books to break open our hearts, so that we might feel more deeply, so that we might be more human in these unkind times.  I felt the author was asking each of his readers to be more human, that we were being called to be our own heroes, just as the protagonist is being asked this.  This is a book doing work of the spirit in a time of darkness.” — Sandra Cisneros, author of The House on Mango Street 

"Cisneros ably conveys for a young audience what life can look like for the working poor, and how fear, embarrassment, mistrust, and desperation become variables in the calculus of seeking help." — Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books

From the Publisher

Efrén Divided can be counted among those books that will inspire young people to action, activism and change in their communities.

e.E. Charlton-Trujillo

"Cisneros ably conveys for a young audience what life can look like for the working poor, and how fear, embarrassment, mistrust, and desperation become variables in the calculus of seeking help."

Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books

"Cisneros ably conveys for a young audience what life can look like for the working poor, and how fear, embarrassment, mistrust, and desperation become variables in the calculus of seeking help."

Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books