★ JOHN NEWBERY HONOR BOOK ★ PURA BELPRÉ HONOR BOOK ★ SCOTT O'DELL AWARD FOR HISTORICAL FICTION WINNER ★ JANE ADDAMS CHILDREN'S BOOK AWARD WINNER ★ NCTE CHARLOTTE HUCK AWARD WINNER ★ 2025 NATIONAL BOOK AWARD LONGLIST ★
WHEN INJUSTICE GROWS, RESISTANCE BLOOMS.
Twelve-year-old Roberto Alvarez is the youngest of his siblings, born on United States soil. He's el futuro, their dream for a life away from the fire of the Mexican Revolution.
Moved by anti-immigrant and anti-Mexican propaganda, the Lemon Grove school board and chamber of commerce create a separate “Americanization” school for the Mexican children attending the Lemon Grove Grammar School. But the new Olive Street School is an old barn retrofitted for the children forced to attend a segregated school.
Amid threats of deportation, the Comité de Vecinos risk everything to stand their ground and, with the support of the Mexican Consulate, choose Roberto as the lead plaintiff in a lawsuit against the school board — in this vivid and uplifting novel in verse based on true events.
Set against the backdrop of the Great Depression and Mexican Repatriation, this is the true story of the United States' first successful school desegregation case, two decades before Brown v. Board of Education. Perfect for fans of Esperanza Rising and Inside Out and Back Again.
Praise
“Stunning… I hope that children of every color, in every neighborhood, can have access to beautiful and moving stories like A Sea of Lemon Trees.” — Matt de la Peña, Newbery Medalist, for The New York Times
“Powerful and lyrical… A moving portrait of community resistance.” — Kirkus Reviews (starred)
“A Sea of Lemon Trees belongs in every U.S. History classroom.” — Andrea Beatriz Arango, Newbery Honor-winning author of Iveliz Explains It All
“A beautiful and essential lesson in courage.” — William Alexander, National Book Award-winning author of Goblin Secrets
“A heart-wrenching novel in verse that will have you crying with both outrage and triumph.” — Mónica Mancillas, author of Sing It Like Celia
“This impeccably researched account imparts timely, heartening messages about community activism that will resonate.” — Publishers Weekly (starred)
About the author
María Dolores Águila is a Pura Belpré Honor and John Newbery Honor-winning author from San Diego. Deeply inspired by Chicane history and art, she seeks to write empowering and inclusive stories about everything she learns. She is also the author of the critically acclaimed picture book Barrio Rising. Cover illustration by Rafael López.
A novel in verse for readers aged 8–12.
