By Karen Lynn Williams
Illustrations: Sara Palacios
Publisher: Eerdmans Books for Young Readers; Illustrated edition
Teachers Guide
The day ahead will change how Enrique sees his dad and how he defines courage…a powerful depiction of the everyday struggles faced by undocumented immigrants and their families. Sensitively told with expressive illustrations. Facing Fear explores the meaning of bravery and the strength of a community.
A Note from Karen: Because I have lived for many years outside of my own culture, many of them with my four children I am drawn to stories from across cultures. While living in the Southwest I met people who had been stopped more than once at checkpoints in New Mexico and Texas. I wondered how these checkpoints might affect the life of a young person. What would their story be? I talked to an FBI agent who worked along the border. I interviewed a reporter who covered stories on both sides of the Mexican-US border. A story took shape. I drove through checkpoints and In El Paso, Texas I interviewed children, teachers and a school social worker who worked both in Mexico and the US. I walked along the border where I met children on both sides of the border wall and spoke with patrol agents. And I read books, piles of books about border crossings, border towns, and immigrants. Many tales were sad and difficult to read.
I am grateful for those stories and for the time and patience and willingness to share from so many people. Most of them did not know me, many whose names I do not know. Thank you for your honesty and guidance. Lastly, thank you to Sara Palacious for her talent in interpreting this story and bringing it to life.
Enrique’s Family
My expanding multicultural family.
What Others Are Saying
Kirkus: Crucial in its Timeliness
“The son of undocumented immigrants learns about what threatens to tear apart his family.”
Hooray! Enrique’s soccer team is going to the tournament. There’s only one problem: Enrique must get his permission slip signed by his father, who refuses to sign it for fear of what will happen when Enrique travels through the checkpoint. “If they find something on your papers, they could send us back across the border, split us up,” says Papá. Though Enrique’s a U.S. citizen by birthright, Papá, Mamá, and his sister, Rosa, all live in the U.S. as undocumented immigrants. Papá’s refusal to sign the permission slip enrages Enrique, who fears that he’s letting down his team. “Why did his father worry so much?” When rumors of a migra roundup begin to circulate, Enrique’s family takes refuge at his tía’s home, where Papá finally shares with Enrique the full story of the family’s difficult journey across the border. While Williams never explicitly pins down the specific geographical context or the family’s cultural background (the artwork depicts them as brown-skinned and places a Mexican national soccer team banner on Enrique’s bedroom wall), this demonstrative tale nonetheless commits to a portrait of an immigrant experience that’s full of uncertainty due to the U.S. government’s heavily anti-immigrant agenda. The author’s use of text that’s direct and blunt in message clearly expresses the weight of what’s always at stake, even though this commitment to frankness leads to some abrupt tonal shifts. Palacios’ colorful, bright pictures exude enough warmth to push back against the bleakness that threatens to overwhelm.
Publishers Weekly:
As Enrique’s family takes refuge with relatives to avoid a possible roundup, he learns the full story of the family’s journey to America, and gains a deeper appreciation for their courage.
…heartfelt and sympathetic, with back matter that provides context and lists support organizations and further reading suggestions. In earnest vignettes, Palacios (A Way with Wild Things) brings emotional tension to the family’s backstory, clearly portraying the relentless anxiety of one undocumented family’s experience.