Return to Sender

by Julia Alvarez

After Tyler's father is injured in a tractor accident, his family hires migrant Mexican workers to help save their Vermont farm from foreclosure. Tyler isn’ t sure what to make of these workers. Are they undocumented? And what about the three daughters, particularly Mari, the oldest, who is proud of her Mexican heritage but also increasingly connected her American life. Her family lives in constant fear of being discovered by the authorities and sent back to the poverty they left behind in Mexico. Can Tyler and Mari find a way to be friends despite their differences?

In a novel full of hope, but no easy answers, Julia Alvarez weaves a beautiful and timely story that will stay with readers long after they finish it.

Genres: Young Adult, Realistic Fiction, Fiction, Middle Grade, Cultural, Historical Fiction, Childrens

350 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 7, 2009

About the author

Julia Alvarez left the Dominican Republic for the United States in 1960 at the age of ten. She is the author of six novels, three books of nonfiction, three collections of poetry, and eleven books for children and young adults. She has taught and mentored writers in schools and communities across America and, until her retirement in 2016, was a writer-in-residence at Middlebury College. Her work has garnered wide recognition, including a Latina Leader Award in Literature from the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute, the Hispanic Heritage Award in Literature, the Woman of the Year by Latina magazine, and inclusion in the New York Public Library’s program “The Hand of the Poet: Original Manuscripts by 100 Masters, from John Donne to Julia Alvarez.” In the Time of the Butterflies, with over one million copies in print, was selected by the National Endowment for the Arts for its national Big Read program, and in 2013 President Obama awarded Alvarez the National Medal of Arts in recognition of her extraordinary storytelling.

Photo copyright by Brandon Cruz González
EL VOCERO DE PUERTO RICO

Reviews

[Walt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Julia Alvarez knows how to characterize the blur in the line between right and wrong. She knows how to make it clear that reality and morality are continuums and not dichotomies of this or that, up or down, or yes or no. There are no absolutes. (Now, there's an oxymoron.) We have a long way to go.

Alvarez begins with a young man, her protagonist, Tyler, the younger eleven-year-old son in a family who has survived and thrived by running a dairy farm in Vermont. The family's farming heritage is at risk. Tyler's older brother is away at college, mostly unavailable to help out on the farm without jeopardizing his education and eventual career, and Tyler's father has been injured and disabled, perhaps permanently, in a farming accident. Tyler's father can't do the work he normally did. It is unclear when and if he ever will be able to do the work again. Extended family also can't adequately help out. So paying the bills and keeping the farm is at risk. The family needs help or to change their dynamics: selling the farm, moving from their land, doing something entirely different than farming.

Tyler's parents eventually hire undocumented immigrants --- a couple of men --- to assist with the dairy work. One of the immigrant men is married and has three daughters. The oldest, Mari, slowly becomes Tyler's friend and ally, an unfolding as miraculous as springtime. Mari's mother has disappeared in the murky criminal element that arose to fulfill the void created by ambiguities in United States immigrant policies, underfunded policies that for years tacitly approved of undocumented immigrants coming to the United States to work in jobs that citizens in better times didn't want to do.

The analysis of various notions is tenderly at play in Alvarez's book:
What is a family?
What does it mean to be honest?
What good is it to have a law without compassion, or without implementing it and adequately funding its substantial enforcement?
What does it mean to be a good neighbor and a friend? What sacrifices are appropriate and necessary of good neighbors and friends? And does all of that that apply only to individuals and not to communities and to nations?
What is charity? Is it a weakness or strength?
What about religion and the mystical, and gazing into the heavens? Hope?

"... life is about change, change, and more change. 'When you're born as a child, you die as a baby. Just like when you're born as a teenager, you die as a child.'... 'But there are good sides even to bad or sad things happening,' my mom reminds me...."

This is a coming of age adventure where a boy and a girl have more love and compassion than the men and the women, where a couple of families have greater diplomacy toward each other than the greatest nations on earth do. So it would be good to take their advice and look into the heavens and contemplate the beauty of the night before flying apart.

Not just one star but five.

[Arianne Thompson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book along with my tutoring student: it was her going-in-to-10th-grade summer reading assignment. I'll try to include both our perspectives, as she's certainly much closer to the intended audience than I am.

I tell you what, though: I'm surprised by the school's choice. These students are 14/15 years old, but the book's protagonists, Tyler and Mari, are only 11. I don't believe that the old "kids only want to read about older kids" saw is universally true (of the millions of 9th graders annually subjected to To Kill a Mockingbird, I'm sure a substantial number get quite attached to Scout and Jem), but for my particular student, it didn't help that Tyler in particular acts quite young. Or as she kept putting it, "he's such a goody two-shoes!"

Actually, there is a striking difference in how the two characters resonated with us. To my mind, Tyler seems like he would have fit better in a children's book from the 1950's, while we found Mari to be refreshingly relatable. To illustrate:

Tyler loves: astronomy, helping out around his family farm, and America. Problems: his dad's been injured, the farm's in trouble, and if anyone catches the illegal migrant workers they're employing, it could put them out of business.

Mari loves: writing letters, listening to her uncle's songs and jokes, and (after meeting Tyler), astronomy. Problems: her mom's been missing for nearly a year now, her family lives in constant danger of discovery and deportation, and she has the frustrating job of looking after her younger sisters.

I was surprised by how readily my student gravitated towards Mari, and asked her why she thought Mari was so much more interesting as a character. I think her exact words were, "Well, Mari's got real stuff to deal with, you know. She misses her mom, and the kids at school are mean to her, and she has to take care of her sisters, even though there's nobody really to take care of her. Tyler's just a bunch of first-world problems."

(NB: This transcription may be missing hashtags)

Setting aside the two narrators, we both enjoyed the actual plot pretty well. It moves along at a good clip, with incidents both big and small, and a surprisingly realistic and satisfying conclusion. Our only major gripe (and it's one we both noticed) is that Ms. Alvarez's decision to render Mari's PoV entirely through letter-writing exercises was often forced and artificial. For example, here she is writing a letter to her uncle, describing the trial he himself has just participated in:

"You seemed unsure why the judge wanted to know such personal information. But you shook your head and explained that you had been working since you were a boy helping your parents and six sisters and brothers. You hadn't had any time to court a girl, much less marry one and have kids."

If there is a reason why Mari needs to summarize and repeat her uncle's own experience back to him, it's not made clear in the text. Again, not a fatal flaw, but given that Mari's sections are roughly half the book, an unfortunate one.

Actually, there is a bit of that artificiality that seems to bleed through the whole novel. It's pretty clear that this story was built for the express purpose of criticizing American immigration policy and highlighting its impact on real families and communities, and it does that very effectively. The children are heart-tuggingly earnest and sincere, their families are loving and flawed (but only in the most heart-tuggingly attractive ways), and even curmudgeonly Old Man Withers is eventually brought around to the cause of justice with the help of a few Mexican-American cherubs and some of granny's apple pie. It's very neat work.

But there is a reason Captain Planet isn't as successful as Superman, and I think ultimately our lukewarm response to this book stems from the same effect. It's all right to include lessons and morals in the story – a little fictional fiber is good for all of us. But when you feel like every part of the story is custom-designed to showcase a Very Important Issue, the characters start to look less like people and more like puppets – and you the reader start to feel less like a person to be entertained and more like a student to be taught. For one of us, of course, that's indisputably true, but she didn't especially appreciate the reminder.

[Jean · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had high hopes for this books since Julia Alvarez is such a wonderful writer. But I was sorely disappointed and about 3/4 of the way through I just gave up. The story is told in two voices, one omniscient with the focus on Tyler and one in first person by Mari. Both characters are 11, but other than glimpses of the bullies at school, we don't see very much that ties them to that age group. Mari tells her story in the form of "letters" that are so stilted and overwritten that it strained credibility to the breaking point. It would have been better if the letter aspect had been dropped or if the letters had been believable as those written by an 11-year old. The story line was believable (an immigrant family working on a dairy farm in Vermont and worrying that they will be found out by the authorities), but the overall tone was preachy, not only about unauthorized aliens, but also about the environment and the way we treat our senior citizens. Too bad Alvarez missed an opportunity to get these ideas across in a more believable way.

[Kelly · Rating 2 out of 5]

the best part of this book was learning that this punctuation mark: ?! is called an interrobang. who knew?!

[Debbie Gillespie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Citation: Return to Sender by Julia Alvarez (Yearling 2009)

1.Genre: Junior Chapter Book/ Contemporary Realism


2. Summary: Return to Sender is a story about two families, one farming family and one migrant worker family, struggling to survive and stay together through the many challenges each family faces and how true friendship can transcend their vast differences.

2.Critique:
a. The author uses two different styles of writing to differentiate between the two main characters, Tyler, a Vermont farm boy, and Mari, one of the daughters of the illegal migrant family, as they each narrate the story in alternating chapters.
b. Mari narrates through letters she is writing to various members of her family and diary entries, which gives the reader a very intimate sense of what she is thinking and feeling. Whereas, Tyler’s chapters are narrated from a more objective point of view, allowing the reader to get a broader view of the dynamics of the story as he reports not only what he thinks and says, but also the thoughts and feelings from other characters in the story.
c. By using varying points of view to narrate the story, the author is able to highlight one of the themes or underlying messages the story is trying to make, that it is all about perspective and looking at and understanding issues from somebody else’s point of view. This is evident as Tyler and his family initially believe that migrant workers who enter this country illegally are bad and should be punished, but as the story unfolds and Tyler begins to understand the circumstances surrounding Mari and her family, his perspective changes and he begins to understand this difficult societal issue from a different point of view.


4. Curriculum Connection:
There are many ways that you can use this story. I would use this story to hook a student into a discussion about civic responsibilities and highlight the idea of friendship and diversity, and to enter into a discussion about current events. Below find several correlating Virginia SOLs.

Civics
CE.3 The student will demonstrate knowledge of citizenship and the rights, duties, and responsibilities of citizens by
a) describing the processes by which an individual becomes a citizen of the United States;

CE.4 The student will demonstrate knowledge of personal character traits that facilitate thoughtful and effective participation in civic life by
a) practicing trustworthiness and honesty;
b) practicing courtesy and respect for the rights of others;
c) practicing responsibility, accountability, and self-reliance;
d) practicing respect for the law;
e) practicing patriotism;
f) practicing decision making;
g) practicing service to the school and/or local community.

[Donna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh My!!!!What a lovely, heartwarming book. Tyler's(12 years old) father is injured in a tractor accident and in order for the family to continue working the family farmland, they hire migrant workers from North Carolina. The Cruze Family members are Mari, Papa, Tio Felipe, Tio Armando, Luby, Offie and Mama. Mama was left behind and Luby and Offie are the only members of the family that were born in the United States. Most of the book consists of letters that Mari writes to her Mother explaining life on the Vermont farm and expressing desire for the family to be reunited. Some of the letters are written to her diary as she is determined to keep record of everything that happens in her families life while they are separated from their Mother. The book is full of funny stories, hope and difficult situations. I found my feelings jumping all over the place while reading this story. The lives of two families were affected here: the Cruze's - Mexican and the Paquette's - American. These two families from completely different beginnings find themselves leaning on each other for support. Yes, we are from different backgrounds but to each cultural group, family is what matters most. I HIGHLY recommend this book. You will love it.

[Janet Frost · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was on my list for Hispanic authors with Hispanic characters. I was totally engaged with the characters. The story was based on several pertinent struggles in our country today. The main conflict was concerning migrant workers and the immigration issues. But the secondary, and equally as heart-wrenching story-line was the farm family that is forced to hire the migrant workers in order to save their family farm. The young characters genuinely struggle through the minefield of these very adult issues. Mostly a contemporary setting, it did base the story on a specific event and US federal immigration policy called "Return to Sender".
I especially liked that the story did not wrap everything up with a bow and happy ending. The conclusion did not override reality. While not exactly the ending the reader hoped for, it was given to us with all the disappointment and silver linings of real life.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I could not put this book down! I was engrossed in the story, waiting to see what was going to happen to Mari and her family and wondering how this was going to impact Tyler and the farm. The continual shift in perspectives between these two main characters kept me engaged as well. I tried to imagine that I was reading this novel as a middle school student, wondering how I would react and whose "side" I would have been on at that age. I appreciated that Tyler was going through a similar struggle trying to reconcile his personal values and the laws of his country. As an adult, I had difficulty accepting some of the trials that Mari was forced to endure--rescuing her mother, dealing with bullying classmates, struggling with her own identity as a child brought to America by her parents. I think that learning, as a child myself, what another child was going through would have boggled my mind at the time.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have always enjoyed reading the books of Julia Alvarez but had never read any of the books she had written for children and teenagers. When my son gave me this book, I was anxious to read it. "Return to Sender" is written for middle school readers. It sends a powerful message to children in this age group about what it means to be an undocumented immigrant. Seen through the eyes of Mari Cruz and Tyler Paquette children get a personal view of what it is to be without a parent because they were taken away by the authorities. What it's like to live in fear that one day she will come home and her parents have been taken away by ICE. They learn through the eyes of Tyler what it's like to get to know some of these immigrants and learn to love them only to come to worry about their plight. It should be recommended reading in every American middle school.

[Ms. Sethi · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book tells the story of two families. There are two narrators, fifth graders from each family. I loved how the story was realistic about the challenges facing immigrant families and family-owned farms in the United States today. I loved the format of sometimes telling the story through letters and having Spanish integrated in the book! I will be sharing this novel with my students especially as we are talking about immigration and what it means to be an "American."

[ClaudiaK · Rating 5 out of 5]

A MUST-READ children’s book.

[Bant · Rating 2 out of 5]

Alvarez, J. (2009). Return to sender. New York, NY: Knopf Books for Young Readers. 336 p. 978-0375858383. $16.99. Gr. 4-7.

Tyler Paquette’s family farm is in trouble after the death of his grandfather and an injury to his father. When his family hires some migrant workers from Mexico, Tyler is torn between saving the place he loves and upholding the law of the country he loves. As Tyler wrestles with his feelings, he begins to develop a friendship with a daughter of one of the workers, named Mari. Alvarez’s book is timely and sometimes incendiary. She has written two thoughtful characters, Tyler and Mari, with authentic voices. Unfortunately, Alvarez interjects too much of her own voice, thoughts, and beliefs into the adolescents. The result is a wildly uneven, preachy book that condescends its young audience. Alvarez seemingly doesn’t believe her readers can think for themselves or understand the big concepts. It’s too bad, her writing is lyrical and tender enough to have made this a better book.

Additional Thoughts:
Really there are few things that annoy me more than an author who doesn't have faith in young readers. Alvarez probably spends 200 pages of a 320 page book, explaining every little thing. I get that maybe some readers won't understand the Spanish words, but it is really obnoxious to read things like, "Hola! That means hello in English" for every single Spanish word used. But she also does it for English words, for every big concept she tries to introduce, and just for squeaks and giggles.
This is also a tough sell for young readers. More so because they are being force-fed Alvarez's own agenda. It's an agenda I agree with, but most of the time I was rolling my eyes at how heavy handed she was. Jeez.
This book has already won quite a few awards, and it is up for a William Allen White award in Kansas. My only thoughts on that . . . I hope it doesn't win. I haven't hated a book this much in a long time. She is a good writer though. So there's that.

[Rita · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finally finished the last of this set of books I had to read for my class! This book was so incredibly touching and reflective of the harrowing fears and issues illegal immigrants must face trying to earn a better living by coming to America. I adored that this book was in dual perspective, as it gives insight to both sides of the coin: white American citizen and Mexican illegal immigrant.

I had major issues with many of the white POVS at the beginning of this book, however, it is important to note that their ignorant views of illegal immigrants are likely shared by many people in America to this day. I felt that this book was a truly honest portrayal of people in our society and I really liked how the author chose to not sugar coat the political and social issues dealing with immigration laws. I did feel iffy about the discussion of Native Americans in this book, and the comparison between them and Mexican immigrants. I didn't necessarily think the argument was a strong one, particularly due to the white main character being a patriotic all-American.

This is a fantastic book that I recommend to people of all ages, not just tweens, to gain a better perspective and understanding of illegal immigrants and immigration laws.

[AgnesO · Rating 4 out of 5]

Return to Sender by Julia Alvarez is a moving novel about the realities of migrant Mexican workers, immigration, patriotism, and friendship. This chapter book is reviewed by Booklist and Kirkus Reviews. It is the winner of the Pura Belpre and the Americas Awards. In particular, when Tyler’s father gets injured in a tractor accident, the family must hire Mexican workers to help run the dairy farm. Eleven-year-old Tyler soon learns that the Cruz family is undocumented and lives in fear of la migra raiding the farm and possible imprisonment. Mr. Cruz’s daughter, eleven-year-old Mari, writes diary entries and letters to her missing, perhaps captive, mother. Mari’s fear of losing her mother becomes the heart of the story. Tyler and Mari’s friendship grows despite their differences. Their stories become even more gripping when Tyler decides to help Mari’s family bring back the missing mother…
Tyler’s story interwoven with Mari’s letters makes this novel uniquely engaging. Because Tyler struggles with the idea of breaking the law to help Mari’s family, the book could be implemented to explore thematic connections such as civil disobedience and illegal immigration as well as sacrifice and friendship in Social Studies in grades 4 and up.

[Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book disappointed me--I would give it 2.5 if I could. Julia Alvarez is a brilliant novelist who should probably stick to writing for adults, because her young adult "tone" comes off as forced, oversimplified, and too young. This is a compelling and timely story bogged down by an awkward format, too many exclamation points, and a style that isn't true to Alvarez's lyrical talents.

[Anne Marie · Rating 1 out of 5]

The topic of the book and the way the story is related - through narrative prose and letters, and also through insightful points of view - were really interesting, but ultimately completely overshadowed by how heavy-handed, preachy, and condescending the book is. There is also very little description of any characters or settings - all emphasis is on dialogue and "lesson-teaching."

[Hilary · Rating 1 out of 5]

Again, I wonder if I can rate things when I give up on the book, but it was THAT bad. The entire plot was cliche, the writing was horrid (if she used one more exclamation point, I was going to go insane), it was just bad. Which is disappointing, because Julia Alvarez is usually really good. Anyway, don't try this one.

[dianne b. · Rating 1 out of 5]

i found this pedantic, prosaic,& a real disappointment from Julia.
Even for a younger audience i think it borders on insultingly simplistic, Manichæic; a definite skip.

[Isaac Jensen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Return to Sender tells the story of the relationship between Mari, an undocumented Mexican girl, and Tyler, the son of the dairy farming family for whom Mari’s father works. The two try to navigate all the challenges of growing up, while also confronting loss and the unique challenges of the immigrant experience.

In the last year or so, I have been trying to read more young adult fiction written by or centering the narratives of women and POC. Recently, I looked through the books I’ve added on Goodreads to dig deeper into just who it is that I’ve been reading. Out of over 700 books that I’ve recorded as having read in the last 20 years, less that 25% were written by women and only 8% by people of color. When I consider books I read before starting college, those numbers are even worse. As best I can tell, I upon graduating from high school, I had read 10 books by Hispanic or non-white authors, out of well over 400 books. One of the books I thought would fall into that category was actually a fake autobiography written by a KKK member who pretended to be Native American. Return to Sender, and other books like it, should have been on my reading list during my youth, and I’m very happy to say that I found it on a bookshelf at the school where I work. Books are windows into the lives of people whose experience of the world may be very different than our own, and they can also validate those who too rarely see their lives reflected back to them in wider media. Seen in this light, building a new children’s literature canon that reflects the diversity of voices and experiences is a moral imperative.

[Richie Partington · Rating 5 out of 5]

22 February 2009 RETURN TO SENDER by Julia Alvarez, Knopf, January 2009, 325p., ISBN: 978-0-375-85838-3

"Mr. Neck writes on the board again: 'DEBATE: America should have closed her borders in 1900.' That strikes a nerve. Several nerves. I can see kids counting backward on their fingers, trying to figure when their grandparents or great-grandparents were born, when they came to America, if they would have made the Neck Cut. When they figure out they would have been stuck in a country that hated them, or a place with no schools, or a place with no future, their hands shoot up. They beg to differ with Mr. Neck's learned opinion."
-- from SPEAK by 2009 Margaret A. Edwards Award winner Laurie Halse Anderson

"Imagine there's no countries
It isn't hard to do" -- John Lennon

"Wade into the river
Through the rippling shallow water
Steal across the thirsty border
Bracero" -- Phil Ochs

"That night, Tyler lugs his telescope out to the barn. Whenever he's feeling upset, it helps to look up at what Gramps used to call the bigger picture. In the hayloft, away from the lights of the house, Tyler can see the sky more clearly. And away from his parents and the sounds of their conversations and phone calls and TV programs, he can think more clearly, too."

To the parents of eleven-year-old Tyler Paquette, the family of Mexican workers who have come to live in the trailer on their Vermont dairy farm are angels.

Tyler had actually seen the tractor roll over, trapping his father underneath. He's had horrible nightmares about it ever since. If Tyler had not been there to call 9-1-1, his father wouldn't be alive today. Nevertheless, his father may never recover the full use of his arm and leg and -- given that Tyler's big brother is heading off to college at the end of the summer and his teenage sister is about as likely to help with the cows as my teenage daughter is to help me tend to my dairy goats (NOT!) -- it had been looking like Tyler might never have the opportunity to grow up to become a fifth-generation Vermont family farmer.

"I remember the fear of serpents, the sharp rocks, the lights of la migra. And always, the terrible thirst...I am not sure even this paper can hold such terrifying memories."

Mari is Tyler's age. She is an illegal alien. She has arrived on a bus from North Carolina with her illegal alien father, her two illegal alien uncles, and her two little sisters who were born in North Carolina. Last winter Mari's mom suddenly returned to their homeland in southern Mexico because her mother -- Mari's Abulita -- was dying. Now the family has lost contact with Mama who is hopefully still alive and presumably still trying to sneak across the border and return to North Carolina.

Fearing potential repercussions, Mari's father has persuaded her not to try to actually mail any of the long letters that she has been writing to Mama. But how, then, might the family ever become reunited?

"That is why I am writing, Mama. Not only to tell you where we are moving to, but also because I have nowhere else to put the things that are in my heart. As you always used to tell Papa when he found you writing letters, or just writing in a notebook, 'El papel lo aguanta todo.' Paper can hold anything. Sorrows that might otherwise break your heart. Joys with wings that lift you above the sad things in your life."

Told from the perspectives of Tyler and Mari -- two sixth graders living on a dairy farm in small town Vermont in 2005 -- RETURN TO SENDER is a story of families and hope and opportunities offered by the country I love and am sometimes so proud of -- and opportunities withheld by the country I often haven't understood and have sometimes been embarrassed by.

Why is it that it is a crime for one of these sixth graders to have been born in Mexico? How will it affect things for Tyler to be classmates with Mari, to be in the position of knowing Mari is an illegal alien and -- at the same time -- to recognize that his future as a farmer is so dependent on keeping knowledge of that legal status well hidden? When is it okay -- even admirable -- to participate in breaking laws and when have American heroes participated in doing so?

On the lighter side, RETURN TO SENDER frequently plays with language -- illustrating repeatedly how literal translations of English to Spanish or Spanish to English can lead to amusing misunderstandings.

Just in the past couple of weeks, I have perceived a heightening of fear-based anger related to the economic woes facing so many of us. During an era of panic and fear, a book that so vividly and lovingly illustrates how diverse families are far more similar than they are are different is particularly welcome and essential.

Richie Partington, MLIS
Richie's Picks http://richiespicks.pbworks.com
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richiepartington@gmail.com

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

Return to Sender was definitely not something I would have picked up on my own. It was assigned reading for my intercultural connections class. I don’t usually read juvenile fiction (but I’m working on changing that). From the beginning things were a little rocky with this title. Even now, while I’m trying to write a review, my opinion is still rocky.

Tyler is a an eleven-year-old boy returning to his family’s farm after a sabbatical in the city with his aunt and uncle to heal after the death of his grandfather. After Tyler arrives, he realizes his parents have hired migrant Mexican workers to save the farm from foreclosure. When Tyler realizes the Mexican family is not there legally, he has trouble reconciling his friendship with the oldest daughter and his allegiance to his country.

Immediately upon starting this novel, I had issues with Tyler’s voice. My complaint with juvenile fiction has always been the young tone. I think there are ways to write juvenile fiction without it sounding so juvenile, and I think that would have been more appropriate for this topic. Perhaps, it’s an unrealistic expectation of juvenile fiction, but I think I’ve seen it done successfully before. Once Mari’s point of view kicked in, I warmed up to the novel. Her voice seemed much older than her years, and I liked that. The problem with this was that it made the novel feel lopsided. Tyler’s point of view seemed to pale in comparison with Mari’s. They were also written in different narrative, which bothered me. Tyler’s chapters were in third person, while Mari’s were in first (mainly because she was writing letters).

The supporting characters were a little lopsided, as well. Tyler’s parents were barely developed. They were surface characters. His grandmother, on the other hand, was refreshing and fun. She was pretty much the only character comparable to Tyler and Mari. Of course, they weren’t really developed as well as they could have been either. The pacing and flow were okay. The lopsided feeling of the two points of view fed into an uneven pacing. Mari’s chapters were easy to listen to and went by quickly. During Tyler’s chapters, I was distracted and disinterested. Everything felt slower with him.

The plot worked, and I think it even raises a subject that we need to be discussing. It’s a timely subject matter and an important conversation to have. Still, in the end, everything seemed to be the megaphone that Alvarez used to voice her political opinion. I agree with her opinion, but that’s irrelevant. Using literature as an avenue to make a political opinion known bothers me, especially when it comes to children’s fiction. I think there are ways to pull it off so that it doesn’t feel preachy or like a call to action. Return to Sender definitely has a preachy, call-to-action fell. It made what I think could have been a good novel on a good topic rub me the wrong way.

The audio was good, but I think the book’s content took away from the performance. My dislike for Tyler’s chapters definitely skewed my opinions Ozzie Rodriguez’s performance. I think my dislike for his chapters had much more to do with his voice and the actual book than it did with the performance itself. I’ll have to give him another chance with a different audiobook. Olivia Preciado, on the other hand, did a terrific job. Her lot with Mari definitely helped out with her performance. I really believed she was Mari, and I love that. I think the fact that her chapters were in first person helped with that feeling. It’s not often I get to compare performances and the differences that change my reception of a performance. This was a unique listen.

One quick note: this is a juvenile book, but there are a few instances in which the language is clearly something you would find in young adult or adult fiction. One or two of these instances felt almost inappropriate and out of character for eleven-year-olds.

Read more reviews at Owl Tell You About It.

[Amy · Rating 1 out of 5]

1) Genre: Contemporary Realism

2) Mari’s Mexican family and Tyler’s American family are bonded unexpectedly as her family works on Tyler’s family’s farm. Though this seems to be a simple business trade, Mari and her father are in America illegally. This story is an account of the tribulations they endure together ultimately towards the acceptance of diversity.

3) Critique:

a) I’m not sure if it’s because of my personal beliefs about illegal immigration or if it was simply the way the story was written, but I really didn’t enjoy this book. I felt like it was a rant and it was hard to keep up with the transition from Mari’s letters to Tyler’s account because it felt so random. With this said I did enjoy the author included letters written by Mari because it made it more personable and interesting to read a first hand account.

b) As stated before, it seemed like the book was just a compilation of a bunch of random occurrences. Without giving too much away, at one point the story is concerned with Mari’s family and then all of a sudden it switches to Tyler and his telescope and the stars. I guess this could add to the intensity of this controversial subject since its unpredictable, but it honestly made me want the book to just end. Including Mari’s letters, however, did keep me some what interested because it was presented in a different format from a story told by a narrator.

c) Pages 121-136 features a letter Mari writes to her deceased grandmother. It is so powerful because it is a true expression of Mari’s feelings that she often holds in. The reader gets a sense of Mari’s personality and through her letters feels frightened when she is scared and calm when she is content. Perhaps this book would have been more interesting if other characters wrote their story in this letter format whether the letter is addressed to another person or simply an entry in a personal journal.

4) Curriculum Connection: Illegal immigration is such a controversial and relevant topic today. This could be used in a discussion about illegal immigration so students can see how illegal immigrants actually feel since much of the focus is on Americans who oppose them being here. However, I definitely think the other side-the negative aspects of illegal immigration (i.e. how it affects American life)-needs to be shared as well. Although this book presented the struggles of the illegal immigrations, I felt like the book portrayed Americans as these horrible people who don’t want to accept diversity. Students need to understand the negative consequences of illegal immigrations and how some of the feelings of those Americans against illegal immigration is justified. Mari’s letters could also be used to teach students about writing letters. Perhaps students could write a letter to their favorite character in the book asking them questions or stating what they liked about their role in the book.

[Sara Check · Rating 2 out of 5]

1.This is a Junior Book, Contemporary Realism.

2.Tyler and his family are in jeopardy of losing their farm and the only way to save it is to hire illegal Mexican workers. This story of friendships, morals and human decency ties these two families forever.

3.A. Julia Alvarez has created a plethora cast of fascinating characters in a real life setting where anything seems possible under a blanket of stars. The setting of an innocent dairy farm in the state of Vermont and the very controversial subject of illegal immigration are the two components that help the two main characters understand that friendship is what matters most, it knows no bounds. Political content is intertwined with adult fears and adolescent love while Alvarez’s depictions change reader’s minds.

B. The greatest aspect Alvarez accomplished in this book is unmasking the true face of immigration through her characters, mainly Tyler and Mari. By showing the reader that even her main characters can change the way they act and feel changes the way this book is read.

C. Tyler and Mari have a rocky beginning to their friendship and through very different journeys become the best of friends. Tyler says, “I’d rather lose the farm than not be loyal to my country” (p 70) but after realizing that where you were born does not seem to matter, begins to care about Mari and her family as if they were his own. “He wishes he had words that would let them know he is sorry, that they do belong here,” (p 91). Mari’s journey, on the other hand, is long and difficult and has made her wise beyond her years. To be turning twelve, without her mother, to be caring for her two younger ‘American’ sisters and worrying about “la migra” is more than any young girl should have to endure. The events seen through her eyes and told in her letters humanize this political issue and make the reader care deeply about her character. Mari says in a letter to the President, “I wish I could be that bold in thinking that I have a right to be here” (p 41) which is so sad to think that a child would have to think that. But by the end, Mari is mature and realizing her greatness, “I was growing up into someone he might even look up to” (p 312).

4. Curriculum Connection- I believe this book would most serve upper elementary and middle school due to the political nature. Teachers could definitely do a book study that focuses on all literary elements such as theme, setting, point of view and voice. Teachers could also use this is conjunction when studying Mexico or immigration.

[Christy · Rating 1 out of 5]

I had to read this book for a children's literature class (for pk-8). Honestly, my review may be slightly unfair as this genre just isn't my kind of book.

It's about a boy, Tyler, and his family who own a farm. They are in danger of losing the farm, and in order to keep it, they hire some Mexican workers who are in the country illegally. The book mostly focuses on Tyler and one of the Mexican girls, Mari. They are about the same age, and become good friends. Overall, I thought the book was really boring. Nothing very exciting happens, and it is much more of a book to get you thinking about social/cultural issues rather than for entertainment. Blah.

My first gripe about the book: The letters at the end of each chapter. They are written by Mari, and it is as if the author wanted parts of the book to be from her point of view, so she just has her write letters, except that the letters are not even believable because they are written like a book, not a letter. I don't think a 12-year-old would write letters in such a way.

Second gripe: The chapters are SOOOO long. I don't know about other people, but the shorter the chapters are, the easier it is for me to get through a book. This book is just over 300 pages, and only has 9 chapters. I was getting bored. And if kids are expected to read this, I can only think that would be painful for them if it was assigned reading.

Third gripe: I found 2 things in this book I thought were unnecessary/inappropriate. One thing was in part of the book, Mari has been absent from school because her family is getting deported back to Mexico. The class writes her a letter, each student contributing something. Most of them are normal, "we wish you could be here," or some other encouraging message. Then one girl's message is something along the lines of, "I am sad because my dad told my mom that he loves someone else and he is going to divorce her." Seriously? What is the point of that??? Totally random and just a strange thing to add. Then the second thing that I found inappropriate was that during one part, the lawyer for the Mexican family (Calhoun) is going in to talk to this other lawyer (his name is O'Goody), who I suppose is known as not so much a nice guy. Well, O'Goody ended up being nicer than usual, so Calhoun says, "All I can say is, O'Goody is having a good day today. Either that or he finally got laid." UM, REALLY??? This book says it is for kids 10 and up, so that is about, what, 4th or 5th grade??? How inappropriate!! Ugh.


I just really hated this book.

[Sara Hannon · Rating 1 out of 5]

1. Contemporary Realism, Junior Chapter Book
2. Return to Sender is a book about a family of illegal Mexican immigrants who come to work on a family farm. The American family learns tolerance and not to judge because not only do the workers help save their farm, they also teach them about Mexican culture and the importance of the issue of immigration.

3. One thing that stood out to me the most from this story was the way it was written. Part of the narrative was in a basic narrative form told from the occasionally omniscient point-of-view of a slightly over-dramatic American boy, but you also get a sense of the broader picture. The other part is told via the diary entries and letters written by a slightly over-dramatic illegal Mexican immigrant. To be quite honest, I found this made the book very difficult to follow. Because the story jumped from one thing to the other, I felt as I was being shuttled between emotion and story-telling, rambling and plot. With this, you really feel as if you are getting the story from two different points of view and really seeing it through their eyes, but I felt it was at times chronologically disjointed and did not have an easy emotional balance. One area this is really exemplified is when Mari is writing to her family in Mexico and telling them literally everything that has happened to her in the last few weeks or so. By the time we get to where she embarrassed Tyler by writing a love story about him (page 203), it sounds like Tyler's part of the chapter and we have completely lost the fact that this is actually a letter until the bottom of page 205 when "I better hurry up and finish this" reminds us that we are, in fact, still in letter mode. The letter also talks about the town hall meeting which Tyler also talks about in a different section of the book and it can become confusing because things are not always quite in order.
As for using this as a teaching tool, I would be very careful. It does introduce some interesting Mexican culture but it has a clear agenda. I would always be leery of using any book in a class that has an agenda unless it was one side of a balanced argument. That is to say, I would not teach this book without also reading a book that looked at the downside of illegal immigration in America. It would only be fair to show both sides of the argument as there are two sides to every story.

[Daniela · Rating 5 out of 5]

Grade Level: 5-7th grade
Main Characters: Tyler and Mari
Setting: Vermont
POV: third person chapters about Tyler and first person diary entries/letters from Mari

Summary:
This is a story about undocumented migrant workers told in two different perspectives. Tyler is an 11-year old boy whose father was injured and are at risk for losing their dairy-farm in Vermont. In order to keep their farm, they hire undocumented migrant workers to help keep it running. Mari is the same age as Tyler, and her family is hired to work on the farm illegally, living in a trailer outside the house. Mari's mother disappeared while going to visit her sick abuelita. No one has heard from her in several months and fear that the “migra” has gotten her. This is a humorous and heartening story about how two families grow together despite their differences and makes you question what patriotism really means.

Classroom uses/theme:
Many themes persist in this book such as patriotism, family, immigration, doing what is right, and overcoming obstacles. This book can be used in many ways in the classroom. Students can discuss what patriotism really means, their opinions on immigrant/undocumented peoples rights, and how this trend of not allowing immigrants rights in U.S history (or even Native American rights).

[529_Gary · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Cruz family just wants to earn a living in America. They move from North Carolina to Vermont to find a better place to live and work. There is one major problem. They are illegal aliens in the United States. The Cruz family moves into a trailer near the Paquette family and works on their dairy farm. Things seem to be going ok but the Cruz family is always on the look out for immigration. We learn that the Cruz family is searching for the childrens mother and that she has been held captive by the coyotes. Things seem to be going better when the mother is reunited with her family but then immigration finds them and then they are deported. While all this is going on Mari, the oldest Cruz child, and Tyler, the youngest Paquette child, develop a close friendship. This book is set in current time. My students seem to like it and I haven't been able to keep it on the shelf in the library. The reading level is 4th - 8th grade.

I could use this book in a unit during Hispanic Heritage Month. It would also be useful to use in a unit about history of immigration in the United States. This could also be used in a unit on current events.

[Livia · Rating 1 out of 5]

I thought this was too didactic and strangely written. I think it could have benefited from a great deal more revision regarding the quality of writing and length. I did not like the alternating "voices" and perspectives from first person past in the letters to third person omniscient present in the narrative. It was awkward and led to a lot of redundancy in the story telling. The voices of the children were not authentic for their ages and they seemed awfully naive. I know that Julia Alvarez is a highly regarded author for adults, but this seemed like it was a rough draft of a college writing class submission. Too much telling, not enough showing, and there were too few sensory details included so it was difficult to immerse oneself in the story. Very easy to put down or skip through to finish. It was too long by half and a real disappointment.
It is an important issue that deserved better treatment.

[Abby Johnson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Everything's changing on Tyler's family's Vermont dairy farm. After his father had the accident and Tyler's older brother went to college, Tyler's dad had to hire workers from Mexico to help with the milking. At first Tyler is appalled their their family would hire illegal aliens, but once he gets to know Mari, daughter of one of the workers, he begins to change his mind. Mari writes letters to her mother who has been missing for months and might be dead.

The alternating viewpoints give a well-rounded story about an important and relevant issue, but the format didn't work so well for me. I found it jarring to go back and forth between Mari's first-person, past-tense letters and Tyler's sections which were in the third person present tense. I liked Mari's portions, but I didn't connect as much with Tyler.

[Bradyn Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

read this for my literacy class.
deals with a heavy topic of immigration and i could see how this would be an effective text to introduce young students to the hot debate going on in america rn.
one of the few books i’ve read in class in college that i’ve actually enjoyed😆