Immigrant Stories: Life Along the Border

These stories convey the complexity of life along the U.S. border with Mexico, from the sacrifices that parents make in leaving their home behind for a new life to the separation of mixed-status families.

Some of the families depicted have the means to cross with immigration papers; others do not. With or without papers, however, these stories are based on true life experiences of the authors, their family members, or their students.

We recommend educator discretion in selecting books for class discussion.

Classroom guides

Classroom guides are available for the following titles:

Books for young adults

To see related titles for older readers, take a look at Immigration Stories for Young Adults: Crossing the Border.

Areli Is a Dreamer: A True Story

Areli Is a Dreamer: A True Story
Illustrated by: Luisa Uribe
Age Level: 6-9

When Areli was just a baby, her mama and papa moved from Mexico to New York with her brother, Alex, to make a better life for the family — and when she was in kindergarten, they sent for her, too. Everything in New York was different. Gone were the Saturdays at Abuela’s house, filled with cousins and sunshine. Instead, things were busy and fast and noisy. Areli’s limited English came out wrong, and schoolmates accused her of being illegal. But with time, America became her home.

Bright Star

Fawn in the desert
Age Level: 6-9

With the combination of powerful, spare language and sumptuous, complex imagery characteristic of her work, Yuyi Morales weaves the tale of a fawn making her way through a landscape that is dangerous, beautiful — and full of potential.  A gentle voice urges her onward, to face her fears and challenge the obstacles that seek to hold her back. In a world full of uncertainty, Bright Star seeks to offer reassurance and courage.

Dreamers

Illustration of a mother carrying her baby
Age Level: 3-6, 6-9
Language: English, Spanish vocabulary featured

In 1994, Caldecott Honor artist and five-time Pura Belpré winner Yuyi Morales left her home in Xalapa, Mexico and came to the U.S. with her infant son. In this picture book which she wrote and illustrated, Yuyi tells the story of how she and her son made a home in a new place, finding refuge at the public library. A Spanish-language version is also available. Pura Belpré Author Award Winner.

From North to South

Mom hugging son
Illustrated by: Joe Cepeda
Language: Spanish (Bilingual Eng/Sp)

When Mamá is sent to a detention center in Tijuana because she doesn't have the right immigration papers, José must get used to life without her. He and his father visit Mamá at the center, where they talk about the future in which they will be together. Based on the experiences of René Colato Laínez's students, both he and illustrator Joe Cepeda strike the right balance of honesty and hope in depicting this difficult yet common situation for families along the border.

Luca’s Bridge/El Puente de Luca

Illustration of boy playing a trumpet.
Illustrated by: Anna López Real
Age Level: 6-9
Language: Spanish (Bilingual Eng/Sp)

Luca has never lived outside the U.S., but when his parents receive a letter in the mail, the family must pack up and leave home for a strange land. Together in their car, Luca, his brother Paco, and their parents head across the border to Mexico where his parents were born. Luca doesn’t understand why he must leave the only home he’s ever known, his friends, and his school. He struggles through lonely and disorienting times ― reflected both in Real’s delicate, symbolic illustrations and through Llanos’ description of his dreams ― and leans on music, memory, and familial love for support.

Mamá the Alien/Mamá la extraterrestre

Illustrated by: Laura Lacamara

"When Mamá's purse falls on the floor, Sofia gets a peek at Mamá's old Resident Alien card and comes to the conclusion that Mamá might be an alien from outer space. Sofia heads to the library to learn more about aliens. Some are small and some are tall. Some have four fingers on each hand and some have large, round eyes. Their skin can be gray or blue or green. But Mamá looks like a human mother! Could she really be an alien? Sofia is still puzzling out this mystery when she sees an alien-looking Mamá one night.

My Diary from Here to There

Young girl holding a notebook and looking at a car traveling
Illustrated by: Maya Christina Gonzalez
Age Level: 6-9, 9-12
Language: Spanish (Bilingual Eng/Sp)

While the rest of the family proclaims excitement at their imminent move ("They have escalators to ride!" says one of her five brothers), Amada confides her fears to her journal: "Am I the only one who is scared of leaving our home, our beautiful country, and all the people we might never see again?" Amada Irma Pérez shares the story of her journey to the U.S. as a young girl and Maya Christina Gonzalez's fluid illustrations spill color across the page. Bilingual text.

My Shoes and I

Mario is leaving El Salvador with a new pair of shoes — and a good thing, too, because he has a long and difficult journey ahead of him to reach a new country. His shoes carry him through rain and across mountains, all the way to the river where his mother is waiting on the other side. Young readers may need some information explaining the context of the story, which is based on the author's journey from El Salvador in 1985. Painted illustrations on grainy wood backgrounds match the gritty but hopeful tone of the story.

My Two Border Towns

Boy looking at his reflection with two different towns in the background
Illustrated by: Erika Meza
Age Level: 6-9
Language: Spanish

Early one Saturday morning, a boy prepares for a trip to The Other Side/El Otro Lado. It's close -- just down the street from his school -- and it's a twin of where he lives. To get there, his father drives their truck along the Rio Grande and over a bridge, where they're greeted by a giant statue of an eagle. Their outings always include a meal at their favorite restaurant, a visit with Tío Mateo at his jewelry store, a cold treat from the paletero, and a pharmacy pickup.

Pancho Rabbit and the Coyote: A Migrant's Tale

Rabbit and coyote
Age Level: 6-9
Language: English, Spanish vocabulary featured

When the rains don't come in the spring, Papá Rabbit sets out north to work in the carrot and lettuce fields. He doesn't return when expected, however, and his eldest son, Pancho Rabbit, embarks on a journey to find his father. He meets a coyote who agrees to show him a shortcut, but only in exchange for Pancho's food. After an exhausting journey, Pancho is left with nothing — except the hope of finding his father.

Red Glass

Product Description: One night Sophie and her parents are called to a hospital where Pedro, a six-year-old Mexican boy, is recovering from his trip across the border. Pedro comes to live with Sophie, her parents, and Sophie's Aunt Dika, a refugee of the war in Bosnia. Sophie loves Pedro — her Principito, or Little Prince. But after a year, Pedro's surviving family in Mexico makes contact, and Sophie must travel with Pedro to his hometown so that he can make a heartwrenching decision. An Américas Award Honor Book.

Star in the Forest

Product Description: Zitlally's family is undocumented, and her father has just been arrested for speeding and deported back to Mexico. As her family waits for him to return — they've paid a coyote to guide him back across the border — they receive news that he and the coyote's other charges have been kidnapped and are being held for ransom. Meanwhile, Zitlally and a new friend find a dog in the forest near their trailer park. They name it Star for the star-shaped patch over its eye.

Super Cilantro Girl/La Superniña del Cilantro

Illustration of Super Cilantro Girl flying
Illustrated by: Honorio Robleda Tapia
Age Level: 6-9
Language: Spanish (Bilingual Eng/Sp)

What happens when a small girl suddenly starts turning green, as green as a cilantro leaf, and grows to be fifty feet tall? She becomes Super Cilantro Girl, and can overcome all obstacles, that's what! Esmeralda Sinfronteras is the winning super-hero in this effervescent tale about a child who flies huge distances and scales tall walls in order to rescue her mom. Award-winning writer Juan Felipe Herrera taps into the wellsprings of his imagination to address and transform the concerns many first-generation children have about national borders and immigrant status.

The Notebook Keeper: A Story of Kindness from the Border

Woman holds a notebook while standing next to a girl and her mother at the border
Illustrated by: Magdalena Mora
Age Level: 6-9
Language: Spanish

In this moving and stunningly-illustrated picture book, Noemi and Mama flee their home in Mexico, and head for the US border. There, they look for "The Notebook Keeper" — the person in charge of a ledger for those waiting to cross, and they add their names to the book. As the days turn into weeks, and hope dwindles, the little girl looks for kindness around her — and inside herself.

They Call Me Güero: A Border Kid's Poems

They Call Me Güero: A Border Kid's Poems
Age Level: Middle Grade (9-14)
Language: English

Twelve-year-old red-headed Güero is Mexican American, at home with Spanish or English and on both sides of the river. He’s starting 7th grade with a woke English teacher who knows how to make poetry cool. Trusting in his family’s traditions, his accordion and his bookworm squad, he faces seventh grade with book smarts and a big heart. Winner of the 2019 Walter Honor Book Award for Younger Readers and the Pura Belpré Author Honor Award.

Un tren llamado Esperanza/A Train Called Hope

Boy with a train in front of mountains
Illustrated by: Robert Casilla
Age Level: 6-9

In this poignant bilingual picture book, a boy remembers his first present, a toy train. Years later, after his parents have gone far away in search of work and a better future, the boy rides a real train to join his family. This one is loaded with hundreds of children traveling alone, just like him.

You Weren't with Me

Big bunny talking with small bunny
Illustrated by: Erich Ippen Jr.
Age Level: 3-6
Language: Spanish

Little Rabbit and Big Rabbit are together after a difficult separation, but even though they missed each other, Little Rabbit is not ready to cuddle up and receive Big Rabbit's love. Little Rabbit needs Big Rabbit to understand what it felt like when they were apart. "Sometimes I am very mad. I don't understand why you weren't with me," says Little Rabbit, "I worry you will go away again." Big Rabbit listens carefully and helps Little Rabbit to feel understood and loved.

¡Vamos! Let's Cross the Bridge

¡Vamos! Let's Cross the Bridge
Age Level: 3-6
Language: English, Spanish vocabulary featured

People are always crossing the bridge for work, to visit family, or for play. Some going this way; others going that way. Back and forth they go. With friends on foot and in bicycles, in cars and trucks, the bridge is an incredibly busy place with many different types of vehicles. Little Lobo and his dog Bernabé have a new truck and they are using it to carry party supplies over the bridge with their pals El Toro and La Oink Oink. The line is long and everyone on the bridge is stuck. How will they pass the time?

¡Vamos! Let's Go to the Market

Illustration of fox in hat and bandana pulling a wagon with a dog and boxes in it.
Age Level: 3-6
Language: English, Spanish vocabulary featured

Bilingual in a new way, this paper over board book teaches readers simple words in Spanish as they experience the bustling life of a border town. Follow Little Lobo and his dog Bernabe as they deliver supplies to a variety of vendors, selling everything from sweets to sombreros, portraits to piñatas, carved masks to comic books!

¡Vamos! Let’s Go Eat

¡Vamos! Let’s Go Eat
Age Level: 6-9
Language: Spanish vocabulary featured

Little Lobo is excited to take in a show with wrestling star El Toro in his bustling border town! After getting lunch orders from the luchador and his friends to help prepare for the event, Little Lobo takes readers on a tour of food trucks that sell his favorite foods, like quesadillas with red peppers and Mexican-Korean tacos. Peppered with easy-to-remember Spanish vocabulary and packed with fun details and things to see, this glorious celebration of food is sure to leave every reader hungry for lunch!