Back to Book List

Journey of Dreams

By Marge Pellegrino
Level 10
Review:

Journey of Dreams, by Marge Pellegrino, is a beautifully woven story of how a young girl and her family must escape their homeland of Guatemala during the “Scorched Earth” campaign and their long journey to find safe refuge in the United States. This is a heartbreaking tale that I just couldn’t put down. It includes beautiful storytelling, the love of family, and the appreciation of hard work and determination. I greatly enjoyed reading this story and learning about an event that isn’t widely taught in history. Since this story is historically accurate, it does include violence and tragedy, but it is written in a way that isn’t overly graphic. Sensitive readers may still find it difficult to read.

(Reviewed by Kate Phillips)

Region Guatemala; Mexico; USA
Period 1980s
Genre Historical Fiction
The Good and the Beautiful Library No
  • 4 Entertainment Value
  • 3.5 Moral Value
  • 4.5 Educational Value
  • 4 Literary Value
Rating System

Create an Account

Create an account and you’ll be able to save books to your booklist for download and view not-recommended book lists.

Rating System

  • 5Best
  • 4Excellent
  • 3Great
  • 2Good
  • 1Satisfactory

Entertainment Value

All books on our list are chosen to be engaging, but books that rank high in entertainment value may be more appealing to reluctant readers and/or those who are new to good and beautiful books.

Moral Value

All books on The Good and the Beautiful Book List are deemed appropriate and wholesome, but some books have more emphasis on moral principles than others. A lower rating for moral value does not mean the book is inappropriate; it only means that moral values are not as highly emphasized.

Educational Value

Although all books on this list have educational value in the sense of increasing vocabulary and other important skills, the educational value scale is based on how well the book helps the reader gain knowledge about historical time periods, cultures, geography, science, etc.

Literary Value

Books that score high in literary value include exceptional writing, use of literary devices, and a rich vocabulary. All books on The Good and the Beautiful Book List are well-written, but some have a higher literary value than others.

Are you sure you want to clear your book list?

Yes, Clear

No, Keep