Ten-year-old Rosario Ramirez and her family are political refugees from Mexico, trying to make a new life in Canada.
After being teased at school, Rosario vows not to speak English again until she can speak with an accent that's one hundred percent Canadian. Since she and her parents plan to spend the whole summer working on BC fruit farms, she will be surrounded by Spanish speakers again. But when her family's closest friend Jose gets terribly sick, Rosario's plans start to unravel. Neither Jose nor Rosario's parents speak English well enough to get him the help he needs. Like it or not, Rosario must face her fears about letting her voice be heard.
Bolen Books Children’s Book Prize | 2010 | Short-listed
Chocolate Lily Book Awards | 2011 | Short-listed
CCBC Best Books for Kids & Teens | 2011 | Commended
Rocky Mountain Book Award (RMBA) | 2011 | Short-listed
Download the After Peaches Teacher Guide.
"After Peaches has strong educative potential as a tool for introducing and discussing the experiences of New Canadians. Moreover, the novel is an interesting and engaging read that might better help children to understand the topic and its complexity than the typical type of resources that teachers might otherwise employ. Recommended."