Go Back
my two border towns

My Two Border Towns

In this bilingual title, a message of helping out community is tied to a serious lesson of borders. A father and his sleepy son awaken for an errand they have done together many times. They are going to the “Other Side,” or “Otro Lado.” They will cross into Mexico and visit relatives, get medication, shop: “Before I know it, we reach the broad river, a watery serpent that glints with the dawn. Dad reminds me: Coahuiltecans once lived here, before all this was Mexico — both riverbanks.” Spanish and English phrases run like separate currents of the same stream, understandable in context. And then, they buy and parcel out gifts for their friends, the gente, a reminder that not everyone is free to travel on both sides
Age Groups: Big Kids
Skills: family, Helping
Author: Written by David Bowles and illustrated by Erika Meza

Discussion Questions

  • Who do the boy and his father help on the United States side of the border?
  • Who do the boy and his father help on the Mexico side of the border?
  • What are some similarities and differences you notice in the two border towns in the story?
  • Did you notice that the words in the book are in both English and Spanish? Why do you think the author made this choice?
  • What surprised you about the story?