SuitabookUnequal opportunity and migration
Manny competes for coins in Juarez and seeks a better existence across the bridge in Texas.
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Book details
Gary Paulsen - Author
This is a tense story about poverty, hope and a dangerous attempt to reach a promised better life. Manny must judge both physical risks and whether an older stranger is safe to trust.
14 year old Manny is an orphan in Juarez, Mexico. He competes with his bigger, meaner rivals for the coins American tourists throw off the bridge between Texas and his town. Across that heavily guarded bridge await a different world and a better existence. On the night when Manny dares the crossing--through the muddy shallows of the Rio Grande, past the searchlights and the border patrol--the young man encounters an old stranger who could prove to be an ally or an enemy. Manny can't tell for certain. But if he is to achieve his dream, then he must be willing to risk everything--even his life.
Book Brief
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Sign in for personalised guidanceThis is a tense story about poverty, hope and a dangerous attempt to reach a promised better life. Manny must judge both physical risks and whether an older stranger is safe to trust.
Manny competes for coins in Juarez and seeks a better existence across the bridge in Texas.
Manny passes searchlights and border patrol while trying to decide whether an older stranger is an ally or an enemy.
Consider whether the danger feels purposeful to the story and whether Manny is treated with dignity rather than reduced to his hardship. You may also want to discuss what makes a choice genuinely free.
This is a grounded book brief while Suitabook strengthens the analysis: the current material supports only a cautious reading; another book-specific source is still needed.
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