This book offers a compelling story about the nature of the border. It’s non-fiction, but parts of it have the momentum of fiction, which would appeal to readers of all ages. I appreciate the writer’s interweaving of political/geographic history with current events. The many Spanish language references interwoven into English language sentences increases the sense that this is a real narrative of people’s experiences at the border. The book provides abundant material for diverse disciplinary tie-ins, and I can imagine working with faculty, staff, and students to build a wide range of programming around the book. I’m new to SJSU’s campus reading program, so I would like others to read the book and offer their perspectives on its suitability for the program.
Although this book is well written, it switches between different narratives a bit much. Students, who are not avid readers, might find this confusing and lose interest. There are certainly worthy topics of conversation brought up, especially given the current immigration debate, but I’m not sure if it would have broad enough appeal across the curriculum.
This book offers a compelling story about the nature of the border. It’s non-fiction, but parts of it have the momentum of fiction, which would appeal to readers of all ages. I appreciate the writer’s interweaving of political/geographic history with current events. The many Spanish language references interwoven into English language sentences increases the sense that this is a real narrative of people’s experiences at the border. The book provides abundant material for diverse disciplinary tie-ins, and I can imagine working with faculty, staff, and students to build a wide range of programming around the book. I’m new to SJSU’s campus reading program, so I would like others to read the book and offer their perspectives on its suitability for the program.
Although this book is well written, it switches between different narratives a bit much. Students, who are not avid readers, might find this confusing and lose interest. There are certainly worthy topics of conversation brought up, especially given the current immigration debate, but I’m not sure if it would have broad enough appeal across the curriculum.