When Margarita and her family move from New Mexico to Wyoming, Margarita’s goal is to make a new friend. She misses home and her abuela, who remained behind; in Wyoming, where her father and brother work for the railroad, her Mexican American family is in the minority, and not everyone is welcoming. Margarita is wary of bossy Caroline, who befriends her but insists she choose an “American” name. (Margarita, whose great-grandfather fought in the Civil War in New Mexico, repeatedly informs Caroline that she is, indeed, American.) Racism plays out in many ways, from daily microaggressions experienced by the whole family to outright hostility and discrimination against Margarita’s father and brother at work. As Margarita works to pay off a debt at the local general store, she also struggles to determine whether Caroline is a true friend. Grounded in rich details of family, tradition, and food, Margarita’s appealing and insightful story is one of quiet triumph and well-deserved pride. The Spanish spoken by Margarita’s family incorporated throughout the story is “Nueva España,” the geographically distinct Spanish spoken in New Mexico and southern Colorado historically, including during the Great Depression, when this story is set. (Ages 9–12)