Publisher Description
When it happened Miguel was sent to Juvi. The judge only gave him a year in a group home — said he had to write in a journal so some counselor could try to figure out how he thinks. The judge had no idea that he’d actually done Miguel a favor. Ever since it happened Miguel’s mom can’t even look him in the eye. Any home besides his would be a better place to live. But Miguel didn’t bet on meeting Rondell or Mong or on any of what happened after they broke out. He only thought about Mexico and getting across the border to where he could start over. Forget his mom. Forget his brother. Forget himself. Life usually doesn’t work out how you think it will, though. And most of the time, running away is the quickest path right back to what you’re running from. From the streets of Stockton to the beaches of Venice, all the way down to the Mexican border, We Were Here follows a journey of self-discovery by a boy who is trying to forgive himself in an unforgiving world.
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“Over the course of the book, Miguel’s growth seems entirely plausible, as he aims for a better version of himself rather than a Boy Scout, and that is what makes him both sympathetic and real.”
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Children’s Literature
About Matt de la Peña
Matt de la Peña is the author of several acclaimed young-adult novels and one picture book, A Nation’s Hope. His debut novel, Ball Don’t Lie, was an ALA-YALSA Best Book for Young Adults and an ALA-YALSA Quick Pick and was made into a major motion picture. His second novel, Mexican WhiteBoy, was an ALA-YALSA Top Ten Best Book for Young Adults, a 2009 Notable Book for a Global Society, a Junior Library Guild Selection, and a selction for the 2008 Blue Ribbon List of the Bulletin for the Center of Children’s Literature. He received his MFA degree in creative writing from San Diego State University and his BA from the University of the Pacific. He teaches creative writing.
About Henry Leyva
Henry Leyva, an Earphones Award-winning narrator, is a classically trained actor with extensive work in theater, television, film, and radio. He has appeared off Broadway and in regional theaters across the country in many plays, including Romeo and Juliet, Taming of the Shrew, and Street Car Named Desire. He has also performed in audio dramas for the Syfy Channel and National Public Radio