Dancing Home

A year of discoveries culminates in a performance full of surprises, as two girls find their own way to belong.

Mexico may be her parents' home, but it's certainly not Margie's. She has finally convinced the other kids at school she is one-hundred percent American--just like them. But when her Mexican cousin Lupe visits, the image she's created for herself crumbles.

Things aren't easy for Lupe, either. Mexico hadn't felt like home since her father went North to find work. Lupe's hope of seeing him in the United States comforts her some, but learning a new language in a new school is tough. Lupe, as much as Margie, is in need of a friend.

Little by little, the girls' individual steps find the rhythm of one shared dance, and they learn what "home" really means. In the tradition of My Name is Maria Isabel--and simultaneously published in English and in Spanish--Alma Flor Ada and her son Gabriel M. Zubizarreta offer an honest story of family, friendship, and the classic immigrant experience: becoming part of something new, while straying true to who you are.

Author: Alma Flor Ada, Gabriel M. Zubizarreta
Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers
Published: 07/12/2011
Pages: 160
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 0.57lbs
Size: 8.52h x 5.81w x 0.70d
ISBN: 9781416900887
Audience: Ages 9-12

Accelerated Reader:
Reading Level: 5.9
Point Value: 4
Interest Level: Middle Grade
Quiz #/Name: 144849 / Dancing Home


Award: Sequoyah Book Awards - Nominee
Award: Georgia Children's Book Award - Nominee


Review Citation(s):
Publishers Weekly 05/09/2011
Kirkus Reviews 06/01/2011
School Library Journal 07/01/2011 pg. 91
Booklist 07/01/2011 pg. 57
New York Times Book Review 07/17/2011 pg. 13
Bulletin of Ctr for Child Bks 09/01/2011
Hornbook Guide to Children 01/01/2012 pg. 62 - Recommended, Satisfactory

About the Author
Alma Flor Ada, an authority on multicultural and bilingual education, is the recipient of the 2012 Virginia Hamilton Literary Award, and in 2014 she was honored by the Mexican government with the prestigious OHTLI Award. She is the author of numerous award-winning books for young readers, including Dancing Home with Gabriel Zubizarreta, My Name Is María Isabel, Under the Royal Palms (Pura Belpré Medal), Where the Flame Trees Bloom, and The Gold Coin (Christopher Award Medal). She lives in California, and you can visit her at AlmaFlorAda.com.

Gabriel M. Zubizarreta draws from his experiences of raising his three wonderful daughters in his writing. He hopes his books will encourage young people to author their own destinies. He coauthored Love, Amalia and Dancing Home with Alma Flor Ada. Gabriel lives in Northern California with his family and invites you to visit his website at GabrielMZubizarreta.com.