Jaime, 11, and his older cousin, Angela, leave their Guatemalan village because the gang that killed Angela’s brother and Jaime’s best friend, Miguel, when he refused to work for them is now turning its sights on the two of them. Their families borrow money to send the two on a journey they know is dangerous and uncertain, in hopes Jamie and Angela can get across the U.S. border and join Jaime’s older brother, Tomás, who is working legally in the United States. On the road, which is often terrifying, Jaime and Angela find respite in moments of kindness from strangers, and in the connections they make with several other young travelers. They form a small family, but each of them is on a separate journey. Only Angela and Jaime can stay together, and only their fate is known, in the end. A novel that is often harrowing is also full of warmth in the bonds the children create, including one with a dog that accompanies them on their journey. This timely work includes an author’s note, an extensive glossary of Spanish words, and a bibliography of further reading for adults and children. (Ages 9–13)

PURA BELPRÉ HONOR BOOK
ALA NOTABLE BOOK

“Powerful and timely.” —Booklist (starred review)
“An important, must-have addition to the growing body of literature with immigrant themes.” —School Library Journal (starred review)

Twelve-year-old Jaime makes the treacherous and life-changing journey from his home in Guatemala to live with his older brother in the United States in this gripping and realistic middle grade novel.

Jaime is sitting on his bed drawing when he hears a scream. Instantly, he knows: Miguel, his cousin and best friend, is dead.

Everyone in Jaime’s small town in Guatemala knows someone who has been killed by the Alphas, a powerful gang that’s known for violence and drug trafficking. Anyone who refuses to work for them is hurt or killed—like Miguel. With Miguel gone, Jaime fears that he is next. There’s only one choice: accompanied by his cousin Ángela, Jaime must flee his home to live with his older brother in New Mexico.

Inspired by true events, The Only Road is an individual story of a boy who feels that leaving his home and risking everything is his only chance for a better life. It is a story of fear and bravery, love and loss, strangers becoming family, and one boy’s treacherous and life-changing journey.