Friends of Children and Literature
Los Angeles Public Library Children's Literature Department
Winning Student Essays from 2023
when the FOCAL Award was presented to Ernesto Cisneros for Éfren Divided
Ted - 4th Grade
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I was surprisingly sad when I finished reading the book, ‘Éfren Divided.’ This book is about a family of five, Éfren, Mia, Max, Apa and Ama. They lived happily together until Ama, the mother, was taken away by ICE. Efren, the oldest son, wanted to help his father, Apa, get Ama back. They almost got her back but fail at the end when Ama is taken to the detention center. I was expecting a happy ending when Efren and Apa almost succeeded in getting back Ama but when the story surprisingly turns and Ama was taken by the detention center, it was truly depressing. Although it was depressing, I really enjoyed that part because it urged me to keep reading.
Ama stuck with me the most because she is kind, caring, and persistent. She is the mother of three children and wife of Apa. Ama makes sure Max wears only one pair of underpants at a time, everyone wears creased pants and stays safe. Ama is also a great cook who can touch burning sopes with her bare hands, earning the name ‘soperwoman’. The part that makes Ama stick with me the most is her persistence. She never gives up hope of returning to her family even after being captured by ICE.
Everyone should have persistence, including myself. If I ever get to meet the author, I would be very happy and excited. I would ask him if he would write part two of the book since the story was so great. I really want to find out if Ama ever gets released from the detention center and if the whole family is reunited. I think I would enjoy the good even more if it’s a happy ending story.
Cruz – 6th Grade
I loved Efren Divided because of how the book got me into my emotions. The story told the readers how serious deportation can be.
I appreciate how the author described every character so well, and explained why everyone is who they are in the story. Max was born with his umbilical cord tied around his neck and his brain got affected every minute his brain wasn’t receiving oxygen, and that’s why he was difficult. I understood Efren, because my little brother has autism and he is very difficult.
As a Mexican child, it is not fair that Áma got deported. Áma and Ápa are illegal because they want a better life in America. People are unsafe and they are forced to leave their homes. I felt bad when Efren, Ápa, Max and Mia were all struggling without Áma and wanted her back home.
Efren went home after school and saw nobody was home or at any of the local places they could be at. Efren started worrying. If I was Efren and couldn’t find or ensure my siblings were safe, I would’ve been really scared. So when Efren found Max and Mia I shed a tear knowing they were safe, how I would’ve wanted me siblings to be as well.
It would mean a lot to me to meet Ernesto Cisneros because of how amazing he is at writing stories that touch people’s hearts. He can make your emotions change on pieces of paper. I think he is a great author and I would love to meet him. c
“No matter who it is, everyone should always have someone there to care for them, nobody is less and everyone should be equal.”
-A very wise boy.
Hailey – 7th Grade
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To begin with, the book had me full of different types of emotions and reactions I cannot explain in words. Every page I read made me more interested to find out what happens next. After finishing the whole book, I realized that this book had an important message. Reading about a kid, just about my age, worrying about their parents getting deported felt very unfair. No child should go through anything like that and should be able to live without caring about that. With the thought of saving his Ama, Efren never gave up. This book shows the importance of deep bondage and staying persistent.
When Efren was at his lowest, he was able to keep his head up due to the powerful bond of friendship he had with David and his family. Without the encouragement of his family members and best friend, it would've been much harder for him to stay persistent. The pages with David and Efren’s strong friendship have impacted me so much. It even struck me with a simple question: What is a best friend to me? I’ve always thought it was just a person to have fun with, but I have realized that always having each other’s backs and being loyal is extremely important as well. Just like how both David and Efren’s family always had each other's backs.
The author, Ernesto Cisneros, created a great piece of work. Meeting him would mean meeting the man who has made a difference in the world. After all the inspiration I have received from this book, I would love to talk to him about his journey on writing Efren Divided. These moments I had while reading this book are what I would call a gift. Moments that no one else can receive, but me.