My Name is Jorge On Both Sides of the River (Poems in Spanish and English)

Jorge is trying to learn the ways of his new country. He wants to fit in at school, but he doesn't want to forget his homeland, Mexico. His family is still doing things like they're in the old country, but Jorge wants to find out everything he can about his new country--on the other side of the river. Learning a new language, getting a library card, taking tests, and making friends are challenges for Jorge. Just when Jorge has found a friend in Tim, his life changes once again. Told from the point of view of Jorge, Jane Medina's moving poems vividly depict one boy's struggle to make a new life in a new country.

Jane Medina writes with the power of Jorge's voice because she lives in two worlds. In their home, Jane, her husband, Paulo, and their children, Annie and Joey, mingle the languages and customs of Mexico and the United States. In the elementary school where Jane teaches, children like Jorge and Tim are encouraged to share the richness of their heritages with one another. Jane lives in Orange, California.