Juanito’s family has worked as migrant laborers for many years. When their only child turns nine, they decide it’s time to settle down so he can attend school. But everything feels so strange to Juanito at school that he feels like he’s living upside-down. Luckily, another Spanish-speaking student, Amanda, helps him adjust to his new routine. His wise teacher, Mrs. Sampson, soon recognizes that her new student has a gift for singing and poetry, and she finds a way to give him a leadership role for the Open House that all parents attend. Juan Felipe Herrera’s lyrical bilingual story, based on his own childhood experiences in third grade, is a tribute to the real Mrs. Sampson, whose photograph accompanies a note at the back of the book. (Ages 7-10)

Fresh from the country, Juanito is bewildered by his new school. Everything he does feels upside down: he eats lunch when it's recess and goes to play when it's time for lunch, and his tongue feels like a rock when he tries to speak English. But a sensitive teacher and his family help him find his voice through poetry, art and music.