Crossing the Wire

Written by Will Hobbs

Narrated by Ramon de Ocampo

The acclaimed author of seven ALA Best Books for Young Adults, Will Hobbs pens a spellbinding true-to-life adventure. With nothing but dogged determination, 15year-old Victor leaves his Mexican village to illegally enter the U.S. and help his starving family. Soon he must outwit gangs, drug-runners, and border agents as he endures shivering nights, blistering days, and gnawing hunger. But can his longing for the beckoning opportunity of El Norte carry him through such impossible obstacles? "This gritty and realistic tale will be an eye-opener for many YAs."-KLIATT

• Language: English
• Publisher: Recorded Books, Inc.
• Release date: Sep 11, 2009
• ISBN: 9781440756313

Will Hobbs

Will Hobbs is the award-winning author of nineteen novels, including Far North, Crossing the Wire, and Take Me to the River. Never Say Die began with the author's eleven-day raft trip in 2003 down the Firth River on the north slope of Canada's Yukon Territory. Ever since, Will has been closely following what scientists and Native hunters are reporting about climate change in the Arctic. When the first grolar bear turned up in the Canadian Arctic, he began to imagine one in a story set on the Firth River. A graduate of Stanford University, Will lives with his wife, Jean, in Durango, Colorado.

Reviews for Crossing the Wire

[mtlkch-1 · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

Had a hard time with this one. Is everything our fault?

[silly_tine · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is a moving story and puts you into the feet of all young people coming into the U.S. hoping to support their struggling family.

[tlwood_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Victor Flores leads a desperately hard life with his family in a Mexican village. His father died several years before in an accident while working construction across the border. Victor struggles to support his family and be the man of the house but no matter how hard he works, it becomes impossible to make ends meet. He decides to go acrosst he border, like his dad used to do, and work to send money home to his mother and siblings. The story of Victor puts a human element into the contemporary issues of illegal imimigration today without taking a political stand. All sides are touched on and provides readers with realistic material that is sure to inspire deep thinking about the issue. A great read for young readers who are learning about the world we live in today.

[cammykitty · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Target audience: 10-14I read this because it is assigned to a 6th grade class I work with. The kids aren't very far into the book, but they are already reading ahead (and we're scolding them) and asking us for more books like this. I wish there were more books like this! It is both a high-interest adventure and a good non-judgmental look at the problems of illegal immigration. 15-year-old Rico is put in the awkward position of telling his friend's parents that his friend has left to cross the border to the United States. Rico thinks his friend is a crazy risk-taker, until he realizes that his families corn crop will not earn enough money to feed them. He decides he must go as well.Hobbs has written a well-researched page turner. It covers many of the realities around immigration without dumbing it down too much or making it too brutal for his young adult audience. Bravo, and thank you Mr. Hobbs.

[ewyatt_16 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Facing desperate poverty, Victor tries to get to America to find work to make money in order for his family to survive. With no money for a coyote, Victor must find his own way across the wire into America. Obstacles abound as Victor tries to stay optimistic as he faces many obstacles along the course of his journey. Although it felt a bit preachy at times and Rico was an annoying side-kick, the book was compelling and action-packed.

[gina5breuklander · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This was not my favorite book by Will Hobbs. I enjoyed it and wanted to finish it although I didn't think about the characters much when I wasn't reading.As a strength, the storyline was interesting and I felt like I knew some of the struggles the main character went through. Will Hobbs did a good job researching when he wrote the book. It is a modern day concern.A weakness for me was the Spanish terms used in the book. I didn't necessarily know what all the words meant - there wasn't a glossary or word list. I just gathered meaning from the text.

[tpeterchuck · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This was a touching story of young Victor trying to make to the US to help his family in central Mexico. I thought it was well written and really put a human story behind the controversial issue of illegal immigration. I think one of it's strengths was the quick moving action of the story. I would have liked to have seen more of the aftermath of Victors new life, the book seemed to end too soon for me. Overall it was a good read.

[triciawiseman · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book was hard to put down. There was adventure throughout the book. Just when I thought the story would come to an end, the author wrote a new twist into the story.Strengths:-great description of events-different characters Weaknesses:-at some points, the events got a little long

[kbrunt_3 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

After his father's death, 15 year old Victor Flores is barely able to support his family by raising corn. When corn prices fall, he makes the decision to try to cross the border into the U.S. so he can send money home to his mother and siblings. The story is full of action and adventure as it tells the trials and tribulations of Victor in his quest to cross the border and find work in the U.S. Illegal immigration is a very real current issue and this story tells many of the risks taken to get across the border. Victor is involved in jumping on/off moving trains, thieves stealing from him, encountering the border patrol, rattlesnakes, lack of water in the desert, coyotes (human kind), and drug runners, to name a few. Strengths: I think young (and old) will find this a very easy read, full of real problems with believable characters. Because of all the action, it will keep you wanting more. Weaknesses: I personally didn't find any but it might be helpful if there was a "Spanish" dictionary page to refer to the Spanish terms used.

[twilight1fan_4life · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book was really exciting. I never knew so much went into crossing the wire and i never really knew that those below the border went through so much to get to America. I think that this book is an exciting way to show those that are ignorant like myself. So if you'd like to know about stuff like this then be sure to read it. Besides that it's a page turner also. : )

[abbylibrarian_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The action's pretty much nonstop and the plot twists and turns as Victor Flores attempts to cross the border into the US in order to earn money to support his family. Well-developed characters and organically-presented information about illegal immigration and some of its causes make this book stand out. Recommended for fans of adventure stories.

[jhunefeld_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Victor Flores heads north to make money for his poor campesino family. Not able to pay a coyote, he sets out on his own. After a failed attempt at crossing, he happens upon his best friend. The travel together as drug mules, escape from the group and narrowly avoid being killed by the drug leader. They arrive in AZ and work in the fields. Rico decides to return home to care for his aging parents, Victor remains doing farm work in WA to support his family.

[catnelson_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Fifteen-year-old Victor Flores journeys north in a desperate attempt to cross the Arizona border and find work in the United States to support his family in central Mexico.