From her perch high in a favorite tree, Margarita has a view of both sides of a green hedge: her wealthy family’s garden on one side and the poor shanty home where her friend Rosario and her family live on the other side. When she sees her young neighbors taking her tricycle, which she has left out, Margarita must choose between disclosing what she has witnessed and protecting her friend’s family. The realistic illustrations that accompany the spare text offer clues to the Latin American setting and give readers a sense of the great socioeconomic differences among the characters. 2008 USBBY Outstanding International Books List, 2008 Américas Award Commended Titles. Illustrator Alfonso Ruano is the recipient of the Américas Award and the Jane Ad dams Award for The Composition . ca

Margarita lives in a mansion. When she climbs her favorite tree, she can look down into the beautiful garden below. She can also see the small house next door where her friend Rosario and her family live. One day she sees Rosario and her brother dragging her tricycle into their yard and hiding it under a pile of boxes. Margarita decides to lie and protect her friends -- but is she really helping them? This sensitive story illustrated in magic realist style powerfully presents complex issues of friendship, maturity, and social standing.