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Published
by Hyperion Books for Children, 1996
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MISSION FOR VENGEANCE÷When
Ricky Diaz discovers that his mother, whose death he'd
thought was accidental, was actually murdered by drug
dealers, he's desperate for revenge. But his father, an
ex-Drug Enforcement agent, refuses the mission the DEA now
offers: to steal back an American-made radar detector
installed in a plane the cartel uses to smuggle drugs from
Mexico.
So Ricky decides to take
matters into his own hands. He runs away to Mexico,
disguising himself as one of the rateros, or street
children. Life on the streets is hard, though, and he's
barely surviving when he meets Soledad, a wily but
kindhearted ratera. With her help, he must now find a way to
get into the drug cartel's compound and take the plane, or
end up as yet another casualty in the raging drug war. |
"Readers who require
a fast-paced plot with lots of action, tension, and danger
will find everything they want in Mikaelsens's latest novel
... A dynamite story."
-Booklist (starred review)
"The
characterization is strong, the depiction of street life
realistic, and the theme timely."
-School Library Journal
"... heart-pounding
... reluctant readers will fly through the story to the
finish."
-Bulletin, Center for Children's Books |
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The
Creation of SPARROW HAWK RED . . . |
| The idea for
Sparrow Hawk Red came from growing up in Bolivia, SA. with
Spanish as my primary language, I moved to the United States
when I was 13 years old and had a difficult time adjusting.
I was often picked on because of my differences. I became
interested in flying and parachuting. At age 16, I first
soloed a Cessna 150. At age 17, I started parachuting. My
differences have helped me to become a successful author but
it was a very difficult childhood. (Just remember: Your
differences are what make you special.)
My research
took me to Tucson, Arizona, Nogales Sonora, Tijuana,
Mexicali, and Juarez, Mexico. I traveled with border patrol
officers, visited museums, interviewed homeless children,
hiked in the desert learning plant life, and slept out on
the street eating out of garbage cans to get an
understanding for the homeless.
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