Return to Sender

Return to Sender

By Julia Alvarez

10 ratings 34 reviews 13 followers
Interest LevelReading LevelReading A-ZATOSWord Count
Grades 5 - 12Grades 4 - 7n/a5.5n/a
After Tyler's father is injured in a tractor accident, his family is forced to hire migrant Mexican workers to help save their Vermont farm from foreclosure. Tyler isn’t sure what to make of these workers. Are they undocumented? And what about the three daughters, particularly Mari, the oldest, who is proud of her Mexican heritage but also increasingly connected her American life. Her family lives in constant fear of being discovered by the authorities and sent back to the poverty they left behind in Mexico. Can Tyler and Mari find a way to be friends despite their differences?

In a novel full of hope, but no easy answers, Julia Alvarez weaves a beautiful and timely story that will stay with readers long after they finish it.
Publisher: Yearling
ISBN-13: 9780375851230
ISBN-10: 0375851232
Published on 9/14/2010
Binding: Paperback
Number of pages: 352

Book Reviews (36)

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ExtinctImaniii ExtinctImaniii

I loved this book because it is something relatable to Esperanza Rising . It reminds me of how Esperanza and her family were in America illegally. So Mari and Esperanza have something in common. Both the girls are Mexican. There are some differences, one of them is that in Esperanza Rising her family worked on a farm without having to work for anyone. Mari`s family is working for this white family, the Paqquets.

voniayaAV voniayaAV

This book is about a girl from Mexico who is named Mari she moved to the United States and her family and a boy named Tyler who is from the United States. Mari is an immigrant from the country Mexico she came to the United states undocumented she has no contact with her mother and she is scared if the Migra is going to caught her and her family and will sent them back. Mari has a lot of family issues like Tio Felipe getting caught by the Migra and Mari not being in contact with her mom. Tyler also has family issues with his family he is also trying to help with immigration but his parents do not like the idea of helping immigration they had a farm in Vermont but then his parents moved out of the farm I think over all this book is amazing and I learned more about immigration history and Mari's history with her fighting her rights!

Dari R :/ Dari R :/

This book is about a girl who's from Mexico (she is an immigrant) and she came to Vermont with her dad and her two younger sisters and she met a boy called Tyler they got to know each other a bit and they became friends until a bully (who bullies Mari) came up to Tyler and said that that Mari was an immigrant so then Tyler said that they can't be friends because she was illegal... Some problems that Mari and her family has is that Tio Felipe got caught from the police and Mom is in Mexico (Mari misses her a lot) and that they are scared that they might get caught for the police to so they are hiding. My opinion in this book is that it is not bad it keeps you so interested and it has a lot of details about Mari's life and talks about Mari and how she feels and what she is going throw.

P2basic_pmc P2basic_pmc

This book is about some immigrants that have a hard time and get in trouble with out asking for it and a white family that have problems the dad is hurt the mother doesn't get information and a kid named Tyler who is there son and Tylers older brother that went to collage and the Cruzes. Who are immigrants the father is stressed about la migra witch is the term for border patrol and the mother that hasn't been seen for 2 years and the 3 Marias 2 of them are not illegal because they where born there but the older one the protagonist well the 2 families are protagonists but it mostly focuses on them. The character that I dislike is Tyler why well because he got bullied and remembered that the Cruzes were illegal and didn't talk to Mari the older one and then when he started talking to her again Mari didn't ignore and she told him everything. What I enjoyed the most was that the book is funny it makes some not a lot of jokes. Also when the family is not in some kind of trouble. This book reminds me of a nother book that is called Esperance rising a really good book its some drama but it focuses on family separation. I recommend this book because if you like drama and a little of romance this is the book.

Niloosh Niloosh

I enjoyed this book because it was so realistic to how life for Mexican or black people is. As myself a black person, i think this shows and even spreads awareness of how people of color or Mexican people are treated. I would honestly recommend this book for people who are interested in learning what life is like for people of color.The book also sheds light on farm workers who are Mexican. In all its a great book and i would read it if you haven't. It will for sure change your opinion on some things. -Niloosh

Kaity cat (kc) Kaity cat (kc)

this book is a great book for people who love drama if you do you will love this book. Why you may ask well this book will have many twist and turn. you will learn the struggles of a undocumented immigrant also because you will meet a super nice girl that has to deal with her being bullied and have to be a mother to her sister when she has no mother right now to look up to. her uncle gets caught by la Migra. Also this book has a lot of letters , and something to enjoy about this book is the little romance building between two characters. Well you will see and for u give it your review i give it five stars.

yellow DS yellow DS

This story is about an undocumented Mexican family who went to Vermont and worked for another family on their farm. The main character of the Mexican family, Mari, doesn't know where her mom is and doesn't have any form communication with her mom. Mari's family has to deal with going around to everyday places while hiding from La migra, or they could get sent to Mexico. The main character of the family Mari's family works for, Tyler, lived on a dairy farm and lost his grandfather on the farm due to a heart attack. Something I enjoyed about this book are all the plot twist and everything happens when you least expect it. This is an unique book because it isn't just a normal happy kid story, it's a story that has to do with real life situations and it has some sad parts. I recommend this book if you like drama and plot twist.

J lopez This book is about a girl and her family afraid of la migra and being separated from her mother . While her dad and uncle work on a dairy farm her and her sisters know this family that they go to there house to spend time with and they treat each other like family they eat dinner with each other and spend a holiday with that is called day of the dead. In my opinion since i did not finish the book it was a good book and has lots and lots of crazy events. This book is mixed with sad and happy events have a good day.

Emmanuel Emmanuel

In return sender you will see how to strangers become friends lets get in to it there was name Mari and she was born in mexico and she had to sisters that where american and because they were born there and Maris mom stayed at mexico. Another character is Tyler his dad own a dairy farm. So people can milk the cows and Mari some people in Mari family was working there to get payed Mari and Tyler met in a bed room and they became friends but Tyler didn't want to be friends with crime person. A la meigra. The thing that i hate about this that dose not want girl friend. and did not wanted to be friend and dose not like her. thing that i like is when he help her and he gave her a hiding and wanted to help

The book Return to Sender By:Julia Alvarez is about a girl named Mari,which her and her father are undocumented,Mari had become friend with this boy named Tyler,they have bemome good friends,but now Tyler has decided to follow the law over his friendship with Mari,a few chapters later her family is in deep trouble with La Migra,her family is now hiding in a trailer,and are now allowed outside the trailer. I have enjoyed this book very much but there are some parts I have not been happy about like when Tyler has destroyed his friendship with Mari,also when Tio Felipe was caught by La Migra and ran away to a different state,but I have enjoyed when Tyler realized his mistake of ending his friendship with Mari,also how Mari never stops thinking about her mother everyday,every second. I have found this book not that interesting because I have read so many books like Return to Sender. I recommend this book for grades 3-5 to be challended and also because I have enjoyed this book very much because of all the drama and events that happen in Return to Sender.

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