Where I belong
(Book)

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Published:
Minneapolis, Minnesota : Carolrhoda Lab, 2021.
Format:
Book
Physical Desc:
258 pages ; 22 cm
Lexile measure:
740L
Rating:
740L
Status:
Middlefield/Coe YA Collection
YA Mickelson

Description

An immigrant teen fights for her family, her future, and the place she calls home. In the spring of 2018, Guatemalan American high school senior Milagros "Millie" Vargas knows her life is about to change. She's lived in Corpus Christi, Texas, ever since her parents sought asylum there when she was a baby. Now a citizen, Millie devotes herself to school and caring for her younger siblings while her mom works as a housekeeper for the wealthy Wheeler family. With college on the horizon, Millie is torn between attending her dream school and staying close to home, where she knows she's needed. She's disturbed by what's happening to asylum-seekers at the U.S.-Mexico border, but she doesn't see herself as an activist or a change-maker. She's just trying to take care of her own family. Then Mr. Wheeler, a U.S. Senate candidate, mentions Millie's achievements in a campaign speech about "deserving" immigrants. It doesn't take long for people to identify Millie's family and place them at the center of a statewide immigration debate. Faced with journalists, trolls, anonymous threats, and the Wheelers' good intentions-especially those of Mr. Wheeler's son, Charlie-Millie must confront the complexity of her past, the uncertainty of her future, and her place in the country that she believed was home. "Cast into the political firestorm of an aspiring U.S. senator's campaign, a Guatemalan immigrant teen grapples with her newfound notoriety. It's the end of Milagros Vargas' senior year of high school in Corpus Christi, Texas. So far, aspiring marine biologist Millie's accepted a spot at Stanford, although her mom doesn't yet know this. As Millie became the second caretaker of her family after her father's death, her mom expanded her housekeeping job for the Wheelers, an affluent White family. For Millie, Mr. Wheeler's campaign for the U.S. Senate means her mom will be away from her family more, caring for the Wheelers' young daughter. Then, the senatorial candidate highlights Millie and her family as examples of exemplary immigrants during a campaign speech, resulting in public support as well as hostility from internet trolls and anonymous haters. When someone sets the Vargas home on fire, they have no choice but to accept the offer to temporarily move in with the Wheelers, even as Millie finds herself inexplicably drawn toward their son, Charlie. Setting her story against the backdrop of a nameless, anti-immigrant White House administration, Mickelson does a remarkable job of plunging into complex issues with tremendous nuance. Millie's acquired U.S. citizenship, after arriving as an undocumented asylum seeker, further complicates the discourse, raising stark questions around common debates about which immigrants 'deserve' to be welcomed. Full of thought-provoking conversations, messy answers, and lots of heart, this novel's a quiet knockout. Utterly compelling."-Kirkus Reviews

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Copies

Location
Call Number
Status
Middlefield/Coe YA Collection
YA Mickelson
On Shelf
Location
Call Number
Status
Branford/Blackstone YA Fiction
YA FICTION MICKELSON (Realistic)
On Shelf
Guilford YA Fiction
YA MICKELSON
On Shelf
New London Young Adult
YAF MICKELSON
On Shelf
North Haven Young Teen Fiction
YT FICTION Mickelson, Marcia
Due Jul 11, 2025
Old Saybrook/Acton YA Fiction
YA MICKELSON
On Shelf
Orange/Case Teen Fiction Book
T Fiction Mickelson
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Wallingford Young Adult Fiction
YA MICKELSON
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More Like This

More Details

Language:
English
ISBN:
9781541597976
Accelerated Reader:
UG
Level 4.9, 11 Points
Lexile measure:
740

Notes

Target Audience
740L,Lexile
Study Program Information
Accelerated Reader,UG,4.9,11,515587

Reviews from GoodReads

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Citations

APA Citation (style guide)

Mickelson, M. A. (2021). Where I belong. Carolrhoda Lab.

Chicago / Turabian - Author Date Citation (style guide)

Mickelson, Marcia Argueta. 2021. Where I Belong. Carolrhoda Lab.

Chicago / Turabian - Humanities Citation (style guide)

Mickelson, Marcia Argueta, Where I Belong. Carolrhoda Lab, 2021.

MLA Citation (style guide)

Mickelson, Marcia Argueta. Where I Belong. Carolrhoda Lab, 2021.

Note! Citation formats are based on standards as of July 2022. Citations contain only title, author, edition, publisher, and year published. Citations should be used as a guideline and should be double checked for accuracy.

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Grouped Work ID:
19994cbb-cf95-8661-8df0-f72a0f82f2e6
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Record Information

Last Sierra Extract TimeJul 04, 2025 02:24:14 PM
Last File Modification TimeJul 04, 2025 02:24:22 PM
Last Grouped Work Modification TimeJul 04, 2025 02:24:19 PM

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