Dancing Home

By Alma Flor Ada, Gabriel M. Zubizarreta

Two girls navigate identity and belonging, discovering the true meaning of home.

3.8/5 Goodreads · 642 ratings

149 pages· 24,337 words· Est. 3.5 hour read

$18.99Save 5%

In stock. Also at Amazon or Bookshop.

Bookroo's summary

Margie has convinced everyone she's fully American, but her world shifts when her Mexican cousin Lupe arrives. Struggling with language and longing for her father, Lupe faces her own challenges. As they navigate cultural divides, Margie and Lupe must find common ground and redefine what home means. Will they embrace their shared heritage or remain divided by their differences? A heartfelt journey of friendship and identity unfolds.

From the publisher

A year of discoveries culminates in a performance full of surprises, as two girls find their own way to belong. Mexico may be her parents’ home, but it’s certainly not Margie’s. She has finally convinced the other kids at school she is one-hundred percent American–just like them. But when her Mexican cousin Lupe visits, the image she’s created for herself crumbles. Things aren’t easy for Lupe, either. Mexico hadn’t felt like home since her father went North to find work. Lupe’s hope of seeing him in the United States comforts her some, but learning a new language in a new school is tough. Lupe, as much as Margie, is in need of a friend. Little by little, the girls’ individual steps find the rhythm of one shared dance, and they learn what “home” really means. In the tradition of My Name is Maria Isabel–and simultaneously published in English and in Spanish–Alma Flor Ada and her son Gabriel M. Zubizarreta offer an honest story of family, friendship, and the classic immigrant experience: becoming part of something new, while straying true to who you are.

At a glance