"Vigilante's finely tuned depiction of Lionel's neighborhood and of his jumbled feelings.is both believable and engaging.a great selection for middle school readers, who will empathize with Lionel throughout."-- The Horn Book -- The Horn Book "Vigilante writes about tough subjects with an engaging clarity and a tender touch."-- The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books (BCCB) -- The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books (BCCB) "Touchy topics.are tackled frankly and with tremendous insight. Many aspects of this book are especially welcome for middle-grade fiction, including the authentic urban setting.and a cast of multidimensional Latino characters.

"-- Booklist -- Booklist "Vibrant setting and three-dimensional cast.appealing tale of urban friendship."-- Kirkus -- Kirkus "This book excels in the portrayal of genuine, warm relationships between young people and important adults in their lives . A complex realistic fiction novel featuring Latino characters for the middle grades; we could really do with more like it."-- LMC -- LMC.