AEE: 3 Ways to Have Your Best English Year in 2025

The book follows the story of Alma and Arturo Rivera, who move from Mexico to Delaware after their daughter Maribel suffers a traumatic brain injury. They settle in the Redwood Apartments, where they meet Mayor Toro, a teenage boy from Panama. The narrative is told through multiple first-person perspectives, highlighting the experiences of various immigrants living in the apartment complex. It explores themes of love, racism, economic hardship, and the struggles of assimilation, ultimately humanizing the immigrant experience and challenging common stereotypes.

This book follows the life of Valentino Achak Deng, one of the tens of thousands of boys displaced and orphaned during the Second Sudanese War. The narrative, written by Dave Eggers, alternates between Valentino's past in Sudan and his present life in Atlanta, Georgia. It recounts his harrowing experiences, including fleeing his village, surviving in refugee camps, and facing numerous challenges in the United States. The book is a powerful exploration of themes such as grief, alienation, good and evil, love, and friendship, and it provides a human face to the conflicts in Sudan and the experiences of refugees.