The Bookshelf: March 19, 2015

Trib+Edu is joining with respected books authority Kirkus Reviews to bring you select reviews of books of note in the field of public education. For more book reviews and recommendations, visit Kirkus.com.

DREAMERS: An Immigrant Generation's Fight for Their American Dream

by Eileen Truax

In this English-language edition of her first book ... LA-based reporter tells the intimate stories of the young people who, by no choice of their own, live without legal status in the United States ... Truax showcases the personal histories of the Dreamers living under the constant threat of deportation and denied access to educational opportunities, housing, permits, licenses and career paths many take for granted. Here, they “speak for themselves,” relating tales of fear, frustration, courage, achievement and assertiveness: the Vietnamese honor student; the Mexican high schooler teaching English to her neighbors; the Texas student leader setting up a Dream Alliance chapter … There is, of course, a serious economic, legal, even moral argument against immigration on the Dreamers’ terms. But Truax focuses solely on the struggle and challenges they face today, and she does so in a way that leaves a mark on any reader with a conscience.

A forthright, moving piece of advocacy journalism.

For full review visit kirkus.com.