Free to Learn

★ “The simple language, accessible summations of both sides’ legal arguments, and engaging illustrations, especially those portraying characters with sad and worried expressions, effectively capture Alfredo’s viewpoint. The narrative effortlessly conveys Alfredo’s longing to be at school and his parents’ desperate hope for a better life for their family… a well-documented, age-appropriate introduction to a very emotional, divisive, and still-controversial subject.” – Booklist, STARRED REVIEW
“This fictionalized account of real events conveys the struggles of Alfredo’s family, both in Mexico and in the United States, through the compelling story and Ortega’s captivating digital illustrations. These vividly capture the emotions of both the family and the friends, and heartbreakingly paint Alfredo as an invisible participant while he imagines what his first day of school will be like… A meaningful and moving story.” – School Library Journal
“A tribute to a courageous family of undocumented immigrants who went to court to secure their child’s right to a free public education… . Frank and sympathetic in presenting a lesser-known landmark in the struggle for human rights.” * Kirkus Reviews *
“A family works to ensure their son can attend school in the U.S. in this fictionalized account of a 1970s educational battle to secure education for undocumented students in a Texas district … In Ortega’s digital illustrations, inviting schoolroom images give way to the subdued brown palette of an intimidating courtroom setting.” – Publishers Weekly

Cynthia Levinson is the author of nonfiction books for young readers that focus on social justice, including The Youngest Marcher, The People’s Painter, and Fault Lines in the Constitution. Her books have received the Sibert Medal, the Carter G. Woodson Book Award, the Jane Addams Children’s Book Award, and numerous other honors. She has two daughters, two sons-in-law, four grandchildren, and two grand-dogs—all of whom are thoroughly splendid. Cynthia and her husband divide their time between Austin and Boston, which, helpfully, rhyme, in case she gets lost.

Mirelle Ortega is a Mexican writer and artist based in Los Angeles. She is the author-illustrator of Magic: Once Upon a Faraway Land, a Pura Belpré Honor Book, and the illustrator of several books, including Small Room, Big Dreams: The Journey of Julián and Joaquin Castro by Monica Brown and Free to Learn by Cynthia Levinson. Mirelle has a BFA in digital art and 3D animation from the Tecnológico de Monterrey in Mexico and an MFA from Academy of Art University in San Francisco.

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