Common Sense Media Review
By Michael Berry
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Uplifting tale of survival during Mexican Revolution.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 8+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
What's the Story?
As BAREFOOT DREAMS OF PETRA LUNA starts, it is 1913, and 12-year-old Petra witnesses the tragedies of the Mexican Revolution. Her mother is dead, her father is missing, and Petra must look after her elderly grandmother, her younger sister, and her little brother. Their only hope is to make it to the U.S. border and find a way to cross the Rio Grande. Soldiers, broken infrastructure, and the desert stand in their way.
Is It Any Good?
Border crossings are often fraught with danger, and this historical novel dramatizes the peril for families in that situation. In Barefoot Dreams of Petra Luna, Alda P. Dobbs shows how one family struggles to stay together in the face of tremendous odds, dodging cruel Federales and surviving the desert heat. Topical and uplifting, the book will appeal to readers of current events and family dramas.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how Barefoot Dreams depicts the events of the Mexican Revolution. What were the revolutionaries fighting for?
Petra must look after her younger sister and brother and her grandmother. Are multigenerational families common? How do the members support each other?
How are refugees treated as they try to cross borders? How have immigration polices changed over the decades?
Book Details
- Author :
- Genre : History
- Topics : Family Stories ( Siblings ) , History
- Character Strengths : Courage , Gratitude , Humility , Perseverance
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Sourcebooks for Young Readers
- Publication date : September 14, 2021
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 8 - 12
- Number of pages : 288
- Available on : Nook, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, Apple Books, Kindle
- Award : Pura Belpré Awards and Honors
- Last updated : September 29, 2025
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