Ambassador

Interesting bits of knowledge, from vocabulary words (English and Spanish) and geography to the challenges of gravity-free environments. Multiple references to indigenous Mexican art, which turns up as part of the decor in Gabe's family home, and which may or may not be connected with beings from outer space. Readers will get a compelling, if somewhat one-sided, introduction to the issues confronting people caught up in illegal immigration, from a story that vividly describes the plight of U.S.-born kids blindsided by their family members' undocumented status and subsequent deportations. They'll also learn about a latter-day underground railroad that helped Central American refugees get safely through the U.S. to Canada, which offered asylum at the time. Gabe is studying Longfellow's Hiawatha in school.

Gabe recalls when his mom was pregnant with the now-toddler twins and how this changed, among other things, her sense of smell.

Mentions of superheroes and fictional characters including Batman and Zorro; Gabe's Coke is specifically identified as Mexican (with real sugar) rather than American (with high-fructose corn syrup).