Carol Ann Lloyd-Stanger (Children's Literature)
Miguel has been waiting forever for his father to tell him it is time to leave San Jacinto, Mexico, to join his parents in Mexico. On his fifteenth birthday, instead of the expected presents, he receives word from his father that his time has come. He thinks he’s leaving his grandmother and sister Elena behind, but Elena is as determined to cross “la linea” and go north as Miguel is. Right from the start, his journey does not progress the way Miguel thought it would. He and Elena are faced with repeated decisions about whether or not they can trust the people they meet along the way. To have any chance of getting to California, they must jump onto a moving train, survive the streets of small towns along the way, negotiate for their survival, face robbery and physical violence, and nearly die in their trek across the desert. Will their determination be enough to overcome the corruption and dangers that separate them from “la linea” and the promise of a better life? Their desperate journey is portrayed in vivid and realistic text. In final notes, Jaramillo explains to readers that although the story is fiction, it is based on actual events.Cultural references and Spanish words and phrases are woven gracefully into the text to give readers a genuine flavor of the cultural journey. 2006, Roaring Brook Press/Holtzbrinck Publishing, $16.95. Ages 10 to 15.

CCBC (Cooperative Children’s Book Center Choices, 2007)
Fifteen-year-old Miguel and his thirteen-year-old sister, Elena, have been waiting to join their parents in California for years when they finally set off from their small, impoverished Mexican village. Neither teen knows what a harrowing journey they are about to undertake. Because they will be crossing the U.S. border illegally, the obstacles they face on both sides are huge and often deadly. In their own country, there is the threat of soldiers, and the bandits who attack the trains on which the would-be immigrants desperately cling as they ride atop the cars. And then there is the desert crossing. In those desperate heat-dazed days, a fellow immigrant who had become Miguel and Elena’s protector dies of thirst and sickness, while their guide is shot by self-appointed militia members patrolling the U.S. side of the border. Miguel and Elena make the journey to change their lives, and it changes them in ways they could not have imagined. Ann Jaramillo is a middle school teacher in a Texas border community. She wrote La Línea for her students, many of whom have made journeys that parallel Miguel and Elena’s. Her timely novel reminds readers that human hearts and hopes and dreams cannot be defined or restrained by laws or politics. CCBC Category: Fiction for Young Adults. 2006, A Deborah Brodie Book / Roaring Brook Press, 131 pages, $16.95. Age 13 and older.

Kirkus (Kirkus Reviews, March 15, 2006 (Vol. 74, No. 6))
A Mexican teen risks everything to emigrate illegally to the U.S. to join his family and find a new life. Biding his time for six years in a backwater Mexican village, Miguel, his younger sister Elena and his grandmother survive on money his parents send monthly from California. Miguel is convinced his future also lies across la l'nea in California. On Miguel's 15th birthday, his father finally sends money and instructions for Miguel to head north. But Miguel's careful plans disintegrate when he discovers Elena has followed him. After their bus is diverted south and their money stolen, they are on their own and their only option is to steal a ride on the infamous mata gente, a freight train heading north known as the "people killer." If they survive the ride, they still face a two-day desert trek across the U.S. border. Despite their brother-sister antipathy, Miguel and Elena stick together, escaping one danger after another to cross the border and discover what lies on the other side. A nail-biting real-life adventure. (author's note) 2006, Deborah Brodie/Roaring Brook, 144p, $16.95. Category: Fiction. Ages 12 up. © 2006 Kirkus Reviews/VNU eMedia, Inc. All rights reserved.

Patricia J. Heasley (Library Media Connection, October 2006)
Miguel receives a letter on his 15th birthday from Papß, who he has not seen for almost seven years. The promise of sending for Miguel has finally happened. Crossing the border into California is not easy. Miguel must follow his father's instructions perfectly if he is to succeed, even though the instructions involve a very powerful "connected" man. Miguel's departure is perfectly planned, celebrated, and soon goes awry. The law keepers find their way into Miguel's path, as does 12-year-old Elena who is determined to shadow her brother's trip. Miguel and Elena persevere and make their way successfully, but endure hardships along the way that make the reader realize how hard the life is that our illegal immigrants are escaping and the lengths to which they go for the promise of a better life in the United States. Author Ann Jaramillo provides authority for the book through the included acknowledgements, and author and book additional information components. These sections greatly enhance the gravity of the story she eloquently tells. The inclusion of Spanish language provides authenticity, but could distract younger readers. The attachment and hopefulness the reader will feel for the characters' successes drives this fast-paced adventure. Recommended. 2006, Roaring Brook Press, 131pp., $16.95 hc. Ages 13 up.

n/a (The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, May 2006 (Vol. 59, No. 9))
Illegal immigration across the Mexican border is scantily represented in children’s literature, though children (especially as schools struggle with an influx of Spanish-speaking students) are often at the center of national debate. Jaramillo’s first book addresses the issue head on, relaying the fictional tale of Miguel, who was left behind in Mexico when his parents crossed la linea (the border) years before. When the rich Don Clemente agrees to help, Miguel’s chance to follow finally comes. What transpires, however, is a series of disastrous mishaps: the discovery of Miguel’s sister Elena hiding on his bus causes a Mexican official to reroute them south; Miguel and Elena are dumped on the border of Guatemala and robbed; and when they telephone for help they find out Don Clemente is dead. They must then try to jump aboard the mata gente (“people killer”), a speeding train that offers a perilous but free ride north for the desperate, and while they continue to push forward, their chance of succeeding becomes increasingly small. Jaramillo, who teaches ESL to Mexican-American students, gets the grisly facts right about the dangers illegal immigrants face leading up to la linea (facts are discussed in an endnote, though no sources are listed), and she provides an intimate portrayal of their motivations and trials. Her attempt to represent all possible problems and dangers, however, means that the rather brief story overstretches the boundaries of plausibility toward melodrama, and she provides little to dispel the notion that hardships end at the border. The novel is nonetheless sure to jumpstart compelling discussion, especially if paired with news stories or books about Mexican immigrants in the U.S. such as Jimenez’s The Circuit. Readers interested in the important issue will look past the weaknesses in storytelling and jump aboard for an eye-opening ride. (Reviewed from galleys) Review Code: Ad -- Additional book of acceptable quality for collections needing more material in the area. (c) Copyright 2006, The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois. 2006, Brodie/Roaring Brook, 144p, $16.95. Grades 6-9.

Horn Book (The Horn Book Guide, Fall 2006)
Miguel and his sister attempt to cross the Mexican border illegally to rejoin their parents, who made the trip to the United States many years earlier. Facing horrible indignity and possible death on their journey, the resilient children also encounter generosity. Jaramillo's first novel is convincing and effective. Category: Older Fiction. 2006, Roaring Brook/Brodie, 131pp, 16.95. Ages 12 to 14. Rating: 3: Recommended, satisfactory in style, content, and/or illustration.

Ava Ehde (VOYA, April 2006 (Vol. 29, No. 1))
El Norte represents the celluloid American dream that only those from the outside looking in through television, movies, advertisements, and stories can desire and perhaps willingly sacrifice everything to attain. To all those hungry and desperate souls from Mexico southward, la Lfnea is an unseen line or border that keeps them from their dream. The border is patrolled formally by the U.S. Border Patrol as well as informally by Mexican bandits who rob, rape and often murder the illegal immigrants. The immigrants are often forced to employ coyotes whose trustworthiness is frequently in question to navigate the desert and get them to the border. Miguel has waited seven long years for the money, instructions, and okay from his Papa to start his own perilous journey across la Lfnea, but he did not bargain for his sister, Elena, sneaking along. The two face hardships that leave them with empty pockets and hungry bellies, and turned all the way around. Their dangerous journey is often thwarted by unforeseen variables such as the mata gente or "people killer," a freight train headed north that leaves many illegals who try to jump on it crippled, deformed, and even dead. There are countless pitfalls to the crossing but also many bright spots offered by kind and self-sacrificing countrymen. This well-written account of the perils of illegal border crossing would make a worthwhile read for students studying history, geography, or cultures and is a solid recommendation for both school and public libraries. VOYA CODES: 4Q 3P M J S (Better than most, marred only by occasional lapses; Will appeal with pushing; Middle School, defined as grades 6 to 8; Junior High, defined as grades 7 to 9; Senior High, defined as grades 10 to 12). 2006, A Deborah Brodie Book/Roaring Brook, 144p., $16.95. Ages 11 to 18.

Holly Johnson (WOW Review, Reading Across Cultures, September 2008 (Vol. 1, No. 1))
I stared out at the land and kept my thoughts to myself. The only thing that mattered was making it across la lĂUnea. If the stories were true, the worst was yet to come. Once we crossed la lĂUnea, everything would change. Everything (p. 84).
    A realistic novel set in Mexico, La LĂUnea addresses the controversial issue of illegal immigration into the United States and the reasons Mexican nationals may wish to cross the border. Fifteen year-old Miguel and his younger sister Elena must wait their turns to make the passage to California. Living in extreme poverty with his abuelita (grandmother), Miguel has waited years for his father to make enough money to pay for the journey. In the meantime, Miguel spends his time dreaming about the future and helping his grandmother to improve the ranchito where they live. Finally, the day comes when Miguel can leave San Jacinto, but his sister Elena must wait until there is more money to pay the coyote who guides “illegals” across the desert border to safety in California. Riding on the bus that will take him closer to the U.S. border, Miguel is aware of others who are also on the journey to the north, all of whom must keep their intentions secret. On a routine check stop by the Mexican federales, who attempt to deter illegal immigration from within Mexico, Miguel finds that his sister Elena has stolen away from San Jacinto in an attempt to join her brother on the journey north. Caught up in the intervention of the federales, the siblings are transported back into the interior of Mexico and robbed of the money they were to use for the coyote, the two must make the journey across the desert into California with a fellow traveler who is making his third attempt to get the U.S.
    Unfolding with intensity and prose that flow, La LĂUnea is a middle grade novel that will have readers questioning not only the reasons for immigration, but the ways in which people are treated as they make attempts to create better lives for themselves. Miguel and Elena are both likable and relatable characters who allow young readers to make connections to their own dreams and the price they would be willing to pay for making those dreams come true. A novel about courage, the power of family, and the pain of separation, La LĂUnea brings to life the opportunity for readers to develop understanding, connection, compassion, and ultimately a more comprehensive understanding of those mata gente who make the attempt to cross the border. In terms of theme, other texts that could also be used on a unit about immigration could include, Ask Me No Questions (Budhos, 2006) and Grab Hands and Run (Temple, 1995). Readers interested in texts that also explore the plight of children in developing nations could also read I Am a Taxi (Ellis, 2006) and Iqbal (D’Adamo & Leonori, 2005).
    Ann Jaramillo is a middle school ESL teacher in California who has worked with young people who have either experienced the same plight of Miguel and Elena, or who have had family members who crossed the U.S./Mexican border illegally. Wanting to find a story to which her students could relate, Jaramillo researched the experiences of Mexicans who have crossed the border, and this book is based on real events of one such account. Married to a Mexican American, Jaramillo has a rich appreciation for Mexican American families who have shown her how “there are many ways to be Mexican and American, culturally and linguistically” (p. 127). Jaramillo also includes a brief explanation of the events that have lead to the more dangerous attempts migrants from Mexico have needed to take to reach what they still believe is the land of opportunity. Roaring Brook Press, 125 pp.