Hispanic Heritage Month ends this week, but I have one more book to share with you. It is a book based on a historical event from the 1930s and how one community fought segregation in schools. The book is A Sea of Lemon Trees: The Corrido of Roberto Alvarez by María Dolores Águila. It is recommended for ages 8 to 12.
About the Book:
★ 2025 NATIONAL BOOK AWARD LONGLIST FOR YOUNG PEOPLE'S LITERATURE ★Based on the true story of Roberto Alvarez and the Lemon Grove Incident, this vivid and uplifting middle grade debut novel in verse about one young child's courage to stand up for what is right, and the determination of the Mexican community is perfect for fans of ESPERANZA RISING and INSIDE OUT AND BACK AGAIN.
Twelve-year-old Roberto Alvarez is the youngest of his siblings, born on United States soil. He’s el futuro, their dream for a life away from the fire of the Mexican Revolution.
Moved by anti-immigrant and anti-Mexican propaganda, the Lemon Grove school board and chamber of commerce create a separate “Americanization” school for the Mexican children attending the Lemon Grove Grammar School. But the new Olive Street School is an old barn retrofitted for the children forced to attend a segregated school.
Amid threats of deportation, the Comité de Vecinos risk everything to stand their ground and, with the support of the Mexican Consulate, choose Roberto as the lead plaintiff in a lawsuit against the school board in this vivid and uplifting novel in verse based on true events.
From critically-acclaimed author María Dolores Águila (Barrio Rising) comes an inspiring novel in verse set against the backdrop of the Great Depression and Mexican Repatriation, based on the true story of the United States' first successful school desegregation case, two decades before Brown v. Board of Education ruled that racial segregation in public schools was unconstitutional.
From Me:
The first successful school desegregation case was in the 1930s. Did you know that? I didn't. This book is written in lyrical voice. It shares the story of Roberto Alverez and his community's fight to not let the schools become segregated. Roberto is chosen to represent all the children. He is twelve years old and in the fifth grade. The story is from his point of view and begins with before the holidays. He is in his school with mixed races. Then after the holidays the principal tells them the Mexican American students, they cannot enter the school and have to go to the new school on Olive Street. The new school is in a barn. Their parents told them not to go there and to come home, so they did. The fight began. The Mexican Americans came together to fight segregation. Some got deported including their American born children. Many got threats about welfare being cut if their kids didn't go to the Olive Street School. They stood their ground as best they could and fought. Roberto had to speak at the court case. He was nervous as any 12-year-old would be. He knew he was representing his entire community and this really mattered.
María Dolores Águila does a wonderful job of sharing the history that is happening and how a child may feel. There are cousins that come through that are fleeing the Dust Bowl of the 30's as well as raids. There are neighbors who go from job to job depending on the season and where the work is. Plus, Roberto and his family and community celebrate the various holidays together. It is well written and an easy read because of the lyrical nature. Each page/verse is broken down and given a title. It is a powerful book that truly shares a piece of little-known history. It is the perfect book for Hispanic Heritage Month but also to teach about segregation and the inequities. The Olive Street School was going to have one teacher for four grades. The claim was that they wanted to help the kids become more Americanized. These children were often born in America but were bridging two cultures. The book is written in English with Spanish words throughout it. It truly gives the feel of Roberto's life or at least how we perceive it.
This book is perfect for a classroom or to be read on its own. There are many topics to discuss if it is read as a group from the historical side, civil rights and the differences between cultures. I hope you will check it out!
