Brighter than the Sun

YA fiction 

     "Today, however, there's something about the silence that's making me deeply uneasy.  The bread tastes like nothing, and my hot chocolate may as well be cold, for the lack of comfort it's bringing me.  Since I opened my eyes this morning, I haven't been able to stop thinking about all the ways everything's about to change.  I haven't been able to shake off the realization that today will be our last day of normality, and come Monday, life will be a lot different."

     Sol, 16, protagonist of Daniel Aleman's Brighter than the sun, is the only one in her family who has United States citizenship.  Ever since she started high school she's crossed the border between Mexico and the United States twice a day going between her home in Tijuana and her school in San Diego.  Her goal is to be the first in her family to attend college.

     But Sol's family's finances have become increasingly precarious.  The restaurant that her deceased mother established is now losing money.  The family needs another source of income.  She has landed a part time job in the United States which means that on weekdays she will live with a friend's family, only returning home for weekends.  It becomes a struggle to balance all aspects of her life and her grades start slipping.  And there's plenty of drama on both sides of the border.

     Little brother Diego is a sensitive boy who would much rather draw than play sports.  Needless to say, he's being bullied.  And without Sol to help him with his homework he's just got their grandmother who "gets tired quickly."

     Bruno, a classmate who also crosses the border to attend school, becomes involved in an incident in the cafeteria:  a fight with a white boy.  Although Jack was the instigator, Bruno is suspended.  Now Jack's parents have started a petition to the school board to have Bruno expelled.  Sol could really help Bruno stay in school.  But what if the board started looking at her precarious situation?  

     Brighter than the Sun is a truly engaging read for its target audience and well beyond.

On a purrrsonal note, Upward Bound is getting ready for the arrival of the summer program students.  Like Sol, they're prospective first generation college students who face daunting odds.  The program has been able to hire fewer summer staff members and accept fewer students because of continued cuts in funding despite amply documented proven effectiveness.  It makes me furious that our country is so willing to fund the Pentagon's every wish and give the wealthiest tax breaks while sacrificing the futures of extremely bright, motivated, and hard working teens.

Jules Hathaway 

     

     

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