
Barely Missing Everything
By Maria Peña,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Eye-opening tale of Latinx teen boys facing racism, despair.
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What's the Story?
BARELY MISSING EVERYTHING chronicles the lives of two Mexican American high school buddies and a single mom in El Paso, Texas, who are trying their best to turn their lives around. Best friends JD and Juan both come from broken and impoverished homes in a poor neighborhood, where there's a palpable sense of lost hope for a bright future. Juan's mother, Fabi, is doing her best to provide for her son. Their family lives are everything but stable, and widespread racism and prejudice make it difficult for them to stay on the right path. Juan is a bright basketball player who has the potential to get an athletic scholarship to a good university. JD decides he wants to become a filmmaker. And Fabi gets in a difficult situation compounded by a series of unexpected circumstances.
Is It Any Good?
This is a compelling and eye-opening story about race, economic and social inequality, and preconceived ideas about a particular group of people. Author Matt Mendez sheds light on the struggles of brown people and what people in Latinx communities constantly endure but rarely talk about. Barely Missing Everything can be hard to read at times because of the strong language, violence, and raw depictions of what the boys go through because of who they are and where they come from.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the current economic and social differences shown in Barely Missing Everything. How is your life different from or similar to the main characters' lives?
Are kids of color in your school or community treated differently from white kids? What can you do to bring about acceptance and positive change?
Do you think all high school kids have the same hopes and fears, regardless of where they live or their socio-economic situation?
Book Details
- Author: Matt Mendez
- Illustrator: Dana Ledl
- Genre: Emotions
- Topics: Brothers and Sisters , Friendship , High School
- Book type: Fiction
- Publisher: Atheneum/Caitlyn Dlouhy Books
- Publication date: March 31, 2019
- Publisher's recommended age(s): 15 - 18
- Number of pages: 320
- Available on: Paperback, Nook, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, iBooks, Kindle
- Last updated: April 1, 2019
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Where to Read
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