Land of the Cranes, by Aida Salazar, is a novel-in-verse story of immigrants from Mexico that is perfect for 3rd graders and up. 4th grader, Betita lives in east L.A. with her Mami and Papi. She loves drawing and writing poetry, especially about the legends her Papi tells her about their being descendants of cranes. When her Papi get detained by I.C.E., Betita and her newly pregnant Mami must find a way to help him. During their attempt they both get detained, too. Betita is shocked at the freezing cold conditions at the center where they are being held and tries her best to stay positive. She believes that as her ancestors before her, she will be able to be free once again. With her Mami's pregnancy in danger, Betita fears that she may lose her Mami and unborn sibling. A sorrowful story of a real problem that if affecting this country.
As a librarian and teacher I would use this story with students. We would discuss what it means to file for asylum and look at real life cases where this happens.
This book would pair well with the picture book, Hear My Voice, set for release on April 13, 2021:
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