Crowder, Melanie An Uninterrupted View of the Sky, 286
pages. Philomel (Penguin), 2017. Language: PG (14 swears, 0 ‘f’); Mature
Content: PG (possibility of rape avoided); Violence: PG-13 (beatings, fights).
Francisco, 17, and
his family lead a poor, but loving life in a poor part of a Bolivian city. They’ve worked hard to keep their noses
clean, but under a tough new law passed to appease the Americans desire to
catch drug lords and runners, Francisco’s father is arrested, his cab is
impounded, and he is sent to prison.
When their mother takes off, Francisco and Pilar, his little sister, 8,
are forced to move into the prison too. Ife
in the prison is dangerous for everyone, but Pilar especially. Francisco only has six weeks before he
graduates from school, but there may be no way for him to hold his family and
his soul together long enough to have any choices left.
Are you ready for heart-wrenching? What a stunning look at
life in South America in 1999. It
doesn’t feel like historic fiction; it just feels like raw, honest humanity trying
to survive in desperate situations. An
excellent choice for a classroom read in Language Arts or Geography. Show this to your deepest thinkers. I know it won’t fly off the shelf like Hunger
Games, but a little handselling will help this find a wider audience.
MS, HS – ESSENTIAL.
Cindy, Library Teacher
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