Alebrijes - Flight to a New Haven

Incredibly powerful upper middle grade dystopian science fiction with roots in Mexican folklore. I love Higuera's writing. She is one of those rare writers for children who takes her young readers seriously, doesn't talk down to them, over-explain or patronise and most of all expects and demands a lot of them in return. This book is not an easy read, either in terms of content or themes but it is the kind of book that opens and expands minds. Our hero and his sister are orphaned and are living as refugees/slave labour on the edges of a walled town in the midst of a harsh and deadly landscape. They are completely at the mercy of the richer and powerful residents who themselves live in a system designed to control and submit people through use of fear and the constant threat of violence. The situation is grim but thanks to Leandro's complete loyalty and commitment to his sister and the people who help them, his bravery and ability to have compassion and empathy for others there might be a way out for those willing to trust him. The world building is tight, imaginative and believable and the characters nuanced and complex, as real people are. A powerful, exciting, unusual book- I already have a mental list of young readers to give it to.