falling short book review

Common Sense Media

Movie & TV reviews for parents

• For Parents
• For Educators
• Our Work and Impact

Or browse by category:

• Get the app
• Movie Reviews
• Best Movie Lists
• Best Movies on Netflix, Disney+, and More

Common Sense Selections for Movies

50 Modern Movies All Kids Should Watch Before They're 12

• Best TV Lists
• Best TV Shows on Netflix, Disney+, and More
• Common Sense Selections for TV
• Video Reviews of TV Shows

Best Kids' Shows on Disney+

Best Kids' TV Shows on Netflix

• Book Reviews
• Best Book Lists
• Common Sense Selections for Books

8 Tips for Getting Kids Hooked on Books

50 Books All Kids Should Read Before They're 12

• Game Reviews
• Best Game Lists

Common Sense Selections for Games

• Video Reviews of Games

Nintendo Switch Games for Family Fun

• Podcast Reviews
• Best Podcast Lists

Common Sense Selections for Podcasts

Parents' Guide to Podcasts

• App Reviews
• Best App Lists

Social Networking for Teens

Gun-Free Action Game Apps

Reviews for AI Apps and Tools

• YouTube Channel Reviews
• YouTube Kids Channels by Topic

Parents' Ultimate Guide to YouTube Kids

YouTube Kids Channels for Gamers

• Preschoolers (2-4)
• Little Kids (5-7)
• Big Kids (8-9)
• Pre-Teens (10-12)
• Teens (13+)
• Screen Time
• Social Media
• Online Safety
• Identity and Community

Explaining the News to Our Kids

• Family Tech Planners
• Digital Skills
• All Articles
• Latino Culture
• Black Voices
• Asian Stories
• Native Narratives
• LGBTQ+ Pride
• Best of Diverse Representation List

Celebrating Black History Month

Movies and TV Shows with Arab Leads

Celebrate Hip-Hop's 50th Anniversary

Falling short, common sense media reviewers.

Sweet, vulnerable friendship of two Latino sixth-grade boys.

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this book.

Gives a glimpse into the home lives and family cul

Themes of inclusion, perseverance, empathy, and he

Isaac looks up to Marco for being "really polite,

Isaac is Mexican American, Marco is Jewish and Mex

The P.E. teacher at school warns against various b

"Hella."There's some potty humor and the boys refe

Isaac's dad buys a fancy TV and video game system

Isaac's dad's alcoholism is a recurring plot point

Parents need to know that Falling Short , by Ernesto Cisneros ( Efrén Divided ), is an uplifting story of two Latino middle school boys doing everything they can to support each other and make their parents proud. There are many positive themes including perseverance, empathy, inclusion and helping…

Educational Value

Gives a glimpse into the home lives and family culture of two middle school Latino boys.

Positive Messages

Themes of inclusion, perseverance, empathy, and helping others appear throughout the book. Isaac and Marco work hard, using a "mamba mentality," and support each other in order to reach their goals. They openly communicate about their feelings and fears, cry in front of each other and offer verbal and physical support- hugging and holding hands for comfort. The entire basketball team supports Marco, even when they find out he's not a great player. One of the team's members is a girl who's not only treated the same as everyone else, but looked up to for her toughness. Characters are also shown apologizing and forgiving one another.

Positive Role Models

Isaac looks up to Marco for being "really polite, really nice, super responsible". Despite not being very athletic, Marco is also self-confident and a good sport about being "height shamed." Isaac is "super patient" teaching Marco basketball and wants to be more responsible for his mama. He and his friends also stick up for Marco when he's bullied at school. Both boys sincerely empathize with each other's precarious relationships with their fathers, and routinely put the other's needs before their own. There's nothing the boys can't tell each other, they're willing to cry in front of each other and talk openly about their feelings and problems. The boys' mamas are warm and caring. Isaac's mom is a successful business owner and a very hard worker who's "not too proud to unclog a toilet."

Diverse Representations

Isaac is Mexican American, Marco is Jewish and Mexican. Isaac's father struggles with depression and alcoholism, and Marco has anxiety attacks. All of the central characters are boys, but there's a girl on their basketball team who they like and respect.

Did we miss something on diversity? Suggest an update.

Violence & Scariness

The P.E. teacher at school warns against various bullying behaviors. Marco is bullied about his height, he's called names, picked up and carried around like a baby, and has his pants pulled down at school. The same bully throws an elbow at Issac while they're running in P.E. class. Isaac tries to stop a boy from posting an embarrassing video and accidentally pushes him backward over a desk, causing him to break his ankle. Isaac's father tells a story about growing up "in the hood" when a bunch of "homies" hit his friend over and over. Isaac talks about his parents' arguing and yelling as being normal. He's scared when his dad picks him up from school while drunk and drives him home. Spanking is mentioned. And adult is in a drunk driving accident and is seen in the hospital with wires and tubes sticking out of him.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

"Hella."There's some potty humor and the boys reference their "privates" and "tenders." Marco says there's "cringy language" in the locker room and "words I never heard before middle school." Mild verbal bullying. Parents on Marco's soccer team call him names when he doesn't play well.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

Products & Purchases

Isaac's dad buys a fancy TV and video game system to try to impress him. Ghirardelli chocolate is mentioned by name.

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

Isaac's dad's alcoholism is a recurring plot point. Isaac states his parents fought, and his father eventually moved out, because of his heavy drinking. At one point, his father tells him he can only resist on the days he knows he'll be picking him up from school. His dad does pick him up from school while he's drunk one day when Isaac is sick. Isaac is scared and worries about other adults intervening and stopping him from seeing his dad. He also worries about his dad driving while drunk. An adult gets into a drunk driving accident, admits he has a problem, apologizes and says he's going to do everything he can to get help.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that Falling Short , by Ernesto Cisneros ( Efrén Divided ), is an uplifting story of two Latino middle school boys doing everything they can to support each other and make their parents proud. There are many positive themes including perseverance, empathy, inclusion and helping others throughout the book. Isaac and Marco work hard, using a "mamba mentality," and support each other to reach their goals. They openly communicate about their feelings and fears, cry in front of each other and offer verbal and physical support -- hugging and holding hands for comfort. Both classmates and family members are shown apologizing and forgiving one another, and the book ends on a very positive note. Aside from some bathroom humor, there's very little strong language. Marco is bullied about his height, picked up and carried around like a baby, and has his pants are pulled down at school. The same bully throws an elbow at Issac while they're running in PE class. Isaac's father tells a story about growing up "in the hood," when a bunch of "homies" hit his friend over and over. Isaac talks about his parents' arguing and yelling as being normal. He's scared and worried when his dad picks him up from school while drunk and drives him home. Spanking is mentioned. An adult gets in a drunk driving accident and is seen in the hospital with a lot of wires and tubes sticking out of him.

Where to Read

Community reviews.

• Parents say

There aren't any parent reviews yet. Be the first to review this title.

What's the Story?

In FALLING SHORT, Isaac and Marco already know sixth grade is going to change their lives. But it won't change things at home -- not without each other's help. This year, star basketball player Isaac plans on finally keeping up with his schoolwork. Better grades will surely stop Isaac's parents from arguing all the time. Meanwhile, straight-A Marco vows on finally winning his father's approval by earning a spot on the school's basketball team. But will their friendship and support for each other be enough to keep the two boys from falling short?

Is It Any Good?

This is a tender tale about two steadfast friends who will do anything to help each other reach their goals and make their parents proud. Falling Short sets itself apart with a pair of extremely likable protagonists who aren't afraid to be themselves, try hard, and - most notably -- talk to each other about their feelings. Middle grade readers need more characters like Marco and Isaac period, but especially from cultures that are under-represented in the books they read. Most striking is the boys' uncommon willingness to be vulnerable. These boys not only regularly stick up for each another among their peers, they cry in front of each other, hug, and share emotions that many boys their age have trouble naming, including shame, fear, and regret. They also display true empathy for each other and their parents. So much so, that the selfless attitudes and actions edge toward unrealistic. In truth, this is a book that readers a little younger than Marco and Issac will enjoy the most, as the two make a perfectly aspirational, if not completely believable, duo.

While the boys may be noticeably missing any pre-teen attitudes, their identity struggles are nonetheless spot on. Issac wrestles with staying organized and completing his work in school, leading to worries that his parents are divorcing because he's not the son they always wanted and deserve. Marco, a kid who's been in advanced placement classes his whole life, panics and feels like an imposter the first time he doesn't understand a math lesson right away. He also experiences deep feelings of abandonment from his father, as well as occasional panic attacks, which Isaac not only knows about, but also knows how to help Marco manage. Both boys have to come to terms with utterly relatable feelings of middle school inadequacy, and they lean on each other while finding their way.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about Marco and Isaac's close friendship and both boys' strong communication skills . The boys say multiple times in the book that they can tell each other anything, and both let the other see them cry. Why is it important to be a good communicator with your friends and family?

How do Marco and Isaac each display empathy towards each another? How does that make their friendship stronger?

The chapters in this book are only a few pages long each. Do you prefer books with longer or shorter chapters? Why?

Book Details

• Author : Ernesto Cisneros
• Genre : Friendship
• Topics : Sports and Martial Arts , Friendship , Great Boy Role Models , Middle School
• Character Strengths : Communication , Empathy , Gratitude , Perseverance
• Book type : Fiction
• Publisher : Quill Tree Books
• Publication date : March 15, 2022
• Publisher's recommended age(s) : 8 - 12
• Number of pages : 304
• Available on : Nook, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, Kindle
• Award : Common Sense Selection
• Last updated : May 24, 2022

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

Suggest an Update

Our editors recommend.

Honestly Elliott

A Duet for Home

Marcus Makes It Big

Books about friendship, books with latino characters, related topics.

• Communication
• Perseverance
• Sports and Martial Arts
• Great Boy Role Models
• Middle School

Want suggestions based on your streaming services? Get personalized recommendations

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

• Skip to primary navigation
• Skip to main content
• Skip to primary sidebar
• Skip to footer

Download 100 Best Middle Grade Books. Send it!

Join our Patreon Community for EXCLUSIVE content

Reading Middle Grade

Books for Kids and Grown Ups

Review | Falling Short

Summary: Falling Short

In Falling Short , we meet Marco and Isaac. They’ve been besties for as long as they can remember and now they share one pain in common: both their dads aren’t in their lives as they’d like. Isaac’s dad is attentive but currently struggling with alcoholism. Marco’s dad wishes Marco were more athletic, instead of nerdy.

At the start of middle school, both boys decide to help each other reach their goals. For Isaac, it’s getting better at more than just basketball — getting better grades and being more responsible. And for Marco, it’s learning a sport: basketball. Can they reach their goals? And will their friendship survive it?

This book is written from two perspectives — Marco’s and Isaac’s. I love these kinds of stories with multiple narrators because I feel like I get a broader look at the plot and characters. Throughout the story, both boys wish they had one thing that the other had, be it a relationship with their father or book smarts. The author depicts well that feeling of not measuring up to others around you. Still, I liked that the boys never try to hurt each other, instead, they let their emotions move them to do more for each other.

Isaac and Marco have a heartwarming friendship and it really is the premise and center of this story. They continue to look out for each other and show up for each other through the ups and downs of school and life. Isaac’s dad has developed an alcohol problem and it’s heartbreaking to see how Isaac navigates that, trying to figure out how to protect his dad without embarrassing him before his mom or other people and that becomes a major plot point.

The basketball scenes in this book and well-written and I loved watching Marco learn the game. Finally, I appreciated that the boys’ school (at least their basketball coach) had no tolerance for bullying or bullies. It’s refreshing to see bullies face consequences, even though it doesn’t happen often enough in real life.

Overall: Falling Short

I loved this look at a warm friendship bond between boys. There’s plenty of basketball, Latin-American family and warmth, and middle school antics including bullying, comparison, and budding friendships. This is a sweet book that will resonate with any kid who feels like they’re falling short — and a reminder that we’re often better than we give ourselves credit for. 

Buy This Book

More Book Reviews

• Efren Divided by Ernesto Cisneros
• Nikki on the Line by Barbara Caroll Roberts
• Yusuf Azeem Is Not a Hero by Saadia Faruqi

Don't Forget to Share!

• About Afoma Umesi

Afoma Umesi is the founder and editor of Reading Middle Grade where she curates book lists and writes book reviews for kids of all ages. Her favorite genre to read is contemporary realistic fiction and she'll never say no to a graphic novel.

Related Posts

Afoma Umesi

FREE DOWNLOAD

Join My Friday Kidlit Newsletter

Sign up to receive weekly roundups, kidlit resources, and more! I'll send you my printable list of 100 best middle grade books to start!

Reader Interactions

What do you think leave a comment cancel reply.

March 14, 2022 at 12:18 pm

Sounds like just the sort of book a lot of kids the age of Marco and Issac would enjoy.

Join Reading Middle Grade on Instagram

Sharing the best middle grade (and adult) book recommendations @ whatafomareads

MOST SEARCHED

• Book Reviews
• Middle Grade Book Reviews
• Middle Grade Books
• Picture Books
• Book Lists By Grade
• Early Chapter Books
• Books for Teens

QUICK LINKS

• Book Lists by Age
• Books by Theme

LET’S CONNECT

• KidLit Facebook Group

Discover more from Reading Middle Grade

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Type your email…

Continue reading

• ADMIN AREA MY BOOKSHELF MY DASHBOARD MY PROFILE SIGN OUT SIGN IN

FALLING SHORT

by Ernesto Cisneros ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 15, 2022

A touching exploration of friendship, teamwork, and Mamba Mentality.

Together, neighbors and friends Isaac and Marco navigate the challenges of middle school, divorced parents, and basketball tryouts.

Brand-new sixth graders Isaac Castillo and Marco Honeyman are more like family than friends. Despite their apparent differences—Isaac’s a talented basketball player who struggles academically, while Marco’s a supershort straight-A student who prefers chess to contact sports—they have been inseparable besties since kindergarten. Isaac knows how to talk Marco through his panic attacks and discussions of his absent father, and Marco calmly listens to Isaac’s fears about his father’s not-so-secret alcohol abuse. After a misunderstanding leads Isaac’s former teammates to convince Marco he could be their middle school basketball team’s next Muggsy Bogues (the smallest player in NBA history), Marco and Isaac dedicate themselves to getting him a spot on the team, even though he’s never played before. The dual point-of-view story repudiates toxic masculinity and encourages collaboration and generosity. The quick-moving plot also spotlights the various ways preteens and their parents fall short of their goals only to end up stronger because of their resilience and grit. Both protagonists are Latinx: Isaac is Jewish and Mexican, and Marco is Mexican American. Cisneros’ touching sophomore novel is an ideal pick for sports fans and will reel in reluctant readers.

Pub Date: March 15, 2022

ISBN: 978-0-06-288172-4

Page Count: 304

Publisher: Quill Tree Books/HarperCollins

Review Posted Online: Dec. 23, 2021

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2022

CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES | CHILDREN'S ENTERTAINMENT & SPORTS

Share your opinion of this book

More by Ernesto Cisneros

BOOK REVIEW

by Ernesto Cisneros

More About This Book

PERSPECTIVES

by Louis Sachar ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 1, 1998

Good Guys and Bad get just deserts in the end, and Stanley gets plenty of opportunities to display pluck and valor in this...

Sentenced to a brutal juvenile detention camp for a crime he didn't commit, a wimpy teenager turns four generations of bad family luck around in this sunburnt tale of courage, obsession, and buried treasure from Sachar ( Wayside School Gets a Little Stranger , 1995, etc.).

Driven mad by the murder of her black beau, a schoolteacher turns on the once-friendly, verdant town of Green Lake, Texas, becomes feared bandit Kissin' Kate Barlow, and dies, laughing, without revealing where she buried her stash. A century of rainless years later, lake and town are memories—but, with the involuntary help of gangs of juvenile offenders, the last descendant of the last residents is still digging. Enter Stanley Yelnats IV, great-grandson of one of Kissin' Kate's victims and the latest to fall to the family curse of being in the wrong place at the wrong time; under the direction of The Warden, a woman with rattlesnake venom polish on her long nails, Stanley and each of his fellow inmates dig a hole a day in the rock-hard lake bed. Weeks of punishing labor later, Stanley digs up a clue, but is canny enough to conceal the information of which hole it came from. Through flashbacks, Sachar weaves a complex net of hidden relationships and well-timed revelations as he puts his slightly larger-than-life characters under a sun so punishing that readers will be reaching for water bottles.

Pub Date: Sept. 1, 1998

ISBN: 978-0-374-33265-5

Page Count: 233

Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2000

CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES | CHILDREN'S MYSTERY & THRILLER

More by Louis Sachar

by Louis Sachar ; illustrated by Tim Heitz

by Louis Sachar

THE SCHOOL FOR GOOD AND EVIL

From the school for good and evil series , vol. 1.

by Soman Chainani ; illustrated by Iacopo Bruno ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 14, 2013

Rich and strange (and kitted out with an eye-catching cover), but stronger in the set pieces than the internal logic.

Chainani works an elaborate sea change akin to Gregory Maguire’s Wicked (1995), though he leaves the waters muddied.

Every four years, two children, one regarded as particularly nice and the other particularly nasty, are snatched from the village of Gavaldon by the shadowy School Master to attend the divided titular school. Those who survive to graduate become major or minor characters in fairy tales. When it happens to sweet, Disney princess–like Sophie and  her friend Agatha, plain of features, sour of disposition and low of self-esteem, they are both horrified to discover that they’ve been dropped not where they expect but at Evil and at Good respectively. Gradually—too gradually, as the author strings out hundreds of pages of Hogwarts-style pranks, classroom mishaps and competitions both academic and romantic—it becomes clear that the placement wasn’t a mistake at all. Growing into their true natures amid revelations and marked physical changes, the two spark escalating rivalry between the wings of the school. This leads up to a vicious climactic fight that sees Good and Evil repeatedly switching sides. At this point, readers are likely to feel suddenly left behind, as, thanks to summary deus ex machina resolutions, everything turns out swell(ish).

Pub Date: May 14, 2013

ISBN: 978-0-06-210489-2

Page Count: 496

Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins

Review Posted Online: Feb. 12, 2013

Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2013

CHILDREN'S SCIENCE FICTION & FANTASY | CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

More In The Series

by Soman Chainani ; illustrated by Iacopo Bruno

More by Soman Chainani

by Soman Chainani ; illustrated by RaidesArt

by Soman Chainani ; illustrated by Julia Iredale

BOOK TO SCREEN

• Discover Books Fiction Thriller & Suspense Mystery & Detective Romance Science Fiction & Fantasy Nonfiction Biography & Memoir Teens & Young Adult Children's
• News & Features Bestsellers Book Lists Profiles Perspectives Awards Seen & Heard Book to Screen Kirkus TV videos In the News
• Kirkus Prize Winners & Finalists About the Kirkus Prize Kirkus Prize Judges
• Magazine Current Issue All Issues Manage My Subscription Subscribe
• Writers’ Center Hire a Professional Book Editor Get Your Book Reviewed Advertise Your Book Launch a Pro Connect Author Page Learn About The Book Industry
• More Kirkus Diversity Collections Kirkus Pro Connect My Account/Login
• About Kirkus History Our Team Contest FAQ Press Center Info For Publishers
• Privacy Policy
• Terms & Conditions
• Reprints, Permission & Excerpting Policy

© Copyright 2024 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Popular in this Genre

Hey there, book lover.

We’re glad you found a book that interests you!

Please select an existing bookshelf

Create a new bookshelf.

We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!

Please sign up to continue.

It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!

Already have an account? Log in.

Trouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.

Almost there!

• Industry Professional

Welcome Back!

Sign in using your Kirkus account

Contact us: 1-800-316-9361 or email [email protected].

Don’t fret. We’ll find you.

Magazine Subscribers ( How to Find Your Reader Number )

If You’ve Purchased Author Services

Don’t have an account yet? Sign Up.

Falling Short

Ernesto cisneros. quill tree, $16.99 (304p) isbn 978-0-06-288172-4.

Reviewed on: 01/20/2022

Genre: Children's

Compact Disc - 979-8-200-85494-3

Library Binding - 335 pages - 978-1-4328-9737-6

MP3 CD - 979-8-200-85495-0

Other - 304 pages - 978-0-06-288174-8

Paperback - 304 pages - 978-0-06-288173-1

Pre-Recorded Audio Player - 978-1-6696-0946-9

• Apple Books
• Barnes & Noble

More By and About this Author chevron_right

MSL Book Review

Falling short.

Isaac is a star basketball player, and Marco is super short and into robotics. Despite these differences, they’re best friends. When Marco decides to win his father’s approval by making the basketball team, Isaac is there to help his friend hone his skills (or lack thereof). Meanwhile, Isaac is struggling with his schoolwork, and Marco is determined to help keep his friend afloat. That’s how it’s always been—they hold each other up. Some new challenges of middle school change certainly change things but their friendship and their support for each other remains constant.

This is a great middle grade book about family dynamics, friendship, school and social dynamics, and sports. Easy to read, Marco and Isaac are both relatable characters with unique quirks and humor. Hand this to fans of realistic fiction and books tackling social themes—this book deals with addiction, familial separation and struggles.

Recommended for readers 4th grade and up.

Reviewed by Jessie Trafton, Skidompha Library, Damariscotta, ME

• Children's Books
• Geography & Cultures

Buy new: $21.00

Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet or computer – no Kindle device required .

Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.

Using your mobile phone camera, scan the code below and download the Kindle app.

Image Unavailable

• To view this video, download Flash Player

Follow the author

Falling Short Hardcover – March 15 2022

Purchase options and add-ons.

Ernesto Cisneros, Pura Belpré Award-winning author of Efrén Divided , is back with a hilarious and heartfelt novel about two best friends who must rely on each other in unexpected ways. A great next pick for readers who loved Ghost by Jason Reynolds or The First Rule of Punk by Celia C. Pérez.

Isaac and Marco already know sixth grade is going to change their lives. But it won’t change things at home—not without each other’s help.

This year, star basketball player Isaac plans on finally keeping up with his schoolwork. Better grades will surely stop Isaac’s parents from arguing all the time. Meanwhile, straight-A Marco vows on finally winning his father’s approval by earning a spot on the school’s basketball team.

But will their friendship and support for each other be enough to keep the two boys from falling short?

• Reading age 8 - 12 years
• Print length 304 pages
• Language English
• Grade level 3 - 7
• Dimensions 13.97 x 2.24 x 20.96 cm
• Publisher Quill Tree Books
• Publication date March 15 2022
• ISBN-10 0062881728
• ISBN-13 978-0062881724
• See all details

Frequently bought together

Product description

"Cisneros always writes characters full of foibles and humor and human warmth, and he really knows his basketball.” — Carlos Hernandez, Pura Belpré-winning author of Sal and Gabi Break the Universe

"With characters so true to life that they practically jump off the page,  Falling Short  is the perfect balance of humor and heart. If books were basketball, author Ernesto Cisneros just made a slam dunk." — Sarah Scheerger, author of  Operation Frog Effect

"A beautiful Latinx novel about friendship, determination, and the gift of self-acceptance. Cisneros knocks down a game winner with Falling Short ." — Newbery Medalist Matt de la Peña

"Cisneros’ touching sophomore novel is an ideal pick for sports fans and will reel in reluctant readers." — Kirkus Reviews   (starred review)

"At every turn, Isaac and Marco support each other in this affirming story of basketball, middle school, friendship, and family, and choosing kindness and determination over easy cowardice or cruelty." — School Library Journal (starred review)

"Told through animated alternating first-person chapters, Cisneros’s story not only captures the anxiety—and at times, humor—of trying to measure up to expectations, it also tackles delicate subject matter, such as parental absence and alcohol reliance, with profound sensitivity and nuance. A narrative slam dunk for fans of Donna Barba Higuera and Meg Medina." — Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"A well-told story of family, friends, basketball, and life." — Horn Book Magazine

"In this novel told through the alternating points of view of both protagonists, readers will closely follow the struggles and insecurities both characters experience while also observing a beautiful and endearing friendship. Cisneros has once again written an inspiring story that will have an immense emotional effect on all who read it." — Booklist

About the Author

Ernesto Cisneros was born and raised in Santa Ana, California, where he still teaches. Efrén Divided is his first book. He holds an English degree from the University of California, Irvine; a teaching credential from California State University, Long Beach; as well as a master of fine arts in creative writing from National University. As an author, he believes in providing today’s youth with an honest depiction of characters with whom they can identify. The real world is filled with amazing people with diverse backgrounds and perspectives. His work strives to ref lect that. You can visit him online at www.ernestocisneros.com.

Product details

• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Quill Tree Books (March 15 2022)
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 304 pages
• ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0062881728
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0062881724
• Item weight ‏ : ‎ 1.05 kg
• Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 13.97 x 2.24 x 20.96 cm
• #291 in Children's Books on Basketball
• #350 in Children's Books on Emigration & Immigration
• #910 in Exploring the United States for Children

About the author

Ernesto cisneros .

Discover more of the author’s books, see similar authors, read author blogs and more

Customer reviews

• Sort reviews by Top reviews Most recent Top reviews

Top reviews from Canada

Top reviews from other countries.

• Amazon and Our Planet
• Investor Relations
• Press Releases
• Amazon Science
• Sell on Amazon
• Supply to Amazon
• Become an Affiliate
• Protect & Build Your Brand
• Sell on Amazon Handmade
• Advertise Your Products
• Independently Publish with Us
• Host an Amazon Hub
• Amazon.ca Rewards Mastercard
• Shop with Points
• Reload Your Balance
• Amazon Currency Converter
• Amazon Cash
• Shipping Rates & Policies
• Amazon Prime
• Returns Are Easy
• Manage your Content and Devices
• Recalls and Product Safety Alerts
• Customer Service
• Conditions of Use
• Privacy Notice
• Interest-Based Ads
• Amazon.com.ca ULC | 40 King Street W 47th Floor, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M5H 3Y2 |1-877-586-3230

Falling Short

About this ebook.

Isaac and Marco already know sixth grade is going to change their lives. But it won’t change things at home—not without each other’s help.

This year, star basketball player Isaac plans on finally keeping up with his schoolwork. Better grades will surely stop Isaac’s parents from arguing all the time. Meanwhile, straight-A Marco vows on finally winning his father’s approval by earning a spot on the school’s basketball team.

But will their friendship and support for each other be enough to keep the two boys from falling short?

About the author

Ernesto Cisneros was born and raised in Santa Ana, California, where he still teaches. Efrén Divided is his first book. He holds an English degree from the University of California, Irvine; a teaching credential from California State University, Long Beach; as well as a master of fine arts in creative writing from National University. As an author, he believes in providing today’s youth with an honest depiction of characters with whom they can identify. The real world is filled with amazing people with diverse backgrounds and perspectives. His work strives to ref lect that. You can visit him online at www.ernestocisneros.com.

Rate this ebook

Reading information, more by ernesto cisneros.

Similar ebooks

Advertisement

Supported by

The Shortlist

Please Remain Seated Until You Finish These Thrillers

• Share full article

By Tina Jordan

• July 7, 2021

By T.J. Newman

304 pp. Avid Reader Press. $28.

Bill Hoffman, a Coastal Airways pilot, has been called in on a day off to work a New York flight, and as he strides through LAX, he catches glimpses of his dark-haired, blue-eyed reflection and likes what he sees. You know things are not going to go well for Bill when he breezes past the airport’s security logjam, smugly content that he’s not a “mere mortal” being forced to go through the metal detectors in his socks.

Sure enough, soon after takeoff, Bill’s laptop pings with an email from his wife, Carrie. There’s no message, just a photo of her and their son, hoods pulled over their heads, an explosives-laden vest strapped to Carrie’s chest. (Bill knows it’s them because he recognizes Carrie’s pink-painted toenails.) Minutes later, as he sits in the cockpit flying the plane, he gets a FaceTime call from someone — OK, it’s a terrorist protesting America’s treatment of the Kurds — who tells him, “It’s simple. Crash your plane, or I kill your family.”

Newman’s premise is terrific — so terrific, in fact, that it will divert you from thinking too much about the plot’s basic problems, like never understanding why Bill has been targeted, or the ridiculousness of the way that the terrorist gains access to Bill’s travel bag. (It involves a fake telephone line and a fake cable repair guy.) The action zips along at such a breakneck pace that you won’t have time to ponder such persnickety details. One second you’re on the flight deck with Bill and his co-pilot; the next, in the cabin with the intrepid flight attendant Bill has confided in, a woman who — conveniently enough — has a relative in the F.B.I. Then you’re back on the ground with Carrie and her kidnapper or in a tower at J.F.K. with air traffic controllers before being hurtled back to 30,000 feet. There are guns, bombs, internet jammers, some kind of unspecified powdered poison and a metal cylinder filled with toxic gas. The president gets involved. So do the New York Yankees.

If it all sounds a bit absurd, it is, but the book’s high-octane thrills go a long way in mitigating its over-the-topness. When I finished, all I could think was, I’m so glad I didn’t read this before I got on my first post-lockdown flight last month.

By Sebastian Fitzek

416 pp. Head of Zeus Press. $29.95.

Mats Krüger is a psychiatrist who does not like to fly — he suffers from crippling aviophobia — but the impending birth of a grandchild has induced him to travel for the first time in 20 years. In an attempt to manage his terror, he decides to buy four different seats and move among them during the flight from Buenos Aires to Berlin — with the exception of 7A. Mats believes 7A is the most dangerous seat on a plane; he buys it not to sit in it, but to keep it empty.

Seat assignments don’t end up mattering much, though, because at the beginning of the 13-hour flight someone — OK, it’s a vegan terrorist acting in the name of animal rights — texts Mats a picture of his pregnant daughter, Nele, tied up and gagged in an abandoned dairy. (Fitzek is not subtle.) Then the terrorist, Franz, calls Mats on the plane and tells him that one of his former patients is a fellow passenger. “Your task, Dr. Krüger, if you want to save Nele’s life, is to activate the psychological bomb on board,” he is told. “Find your former patient. … And reverse your therapy. … Reactivate your patient’s violent fantasies. Unleash the murderous thoughts within her again. And make her crash the plane.”

Now, Mats spent a lot of time working through various scenarios to prepare himself mentally for the flight — hijackers, bombs and so on. But he has not taken into account “that most homicidal weapon, the only bomb that everyone could actually bring on board without being detected … that perfect weapon of mass destruction, the human mind.”

At this point you may be groaning, and with good reason. Look, all good thriller writers use sleight of hand to distract readers from the implausibilities, coincidences and other tiny problems that dot their narratives. Fitzek — ably translated from the German here by Steve Anderson — is skilled, but he’s not skilled enough to spackle over the gaping craters of his own making. You won’t buy the setup, you won’t buy the plot twists and you definitely won’t buy the denouement.

You might, however, enjoy Fitzek’s zingy acknowledgments, which begin, “First, let me make one thing clear before I get hate mail: I have nothing against vegans.”

By Clare Mackintosh

368 pp. Sourcebooks Landmark. $26.99.

Mina and her husband, Adam, a cop, are going through a rough patch, and their adopted daughter, Sophia, who’s 5, is struggling with attachment and attention issues. So for Mina, a flight attendant, working a 20-hour nonstop flight from London to Sydney is something of a break — until, a few hours into the trip, terrifying things begin to happen. First, on the galley floor, she finds an EpiPen with her daughter’s name on it; and then, a passenger dies of an apparent heart attack and a photo of Sophia falls out of his wallet.

“Someone took this through a window,” Mina thinks, noting how fuzzy the details are. Seconds later, looking closely at her daughter’s clothing and mismatched ponytail holders, she realizes the picture was taken that very morning. That’s bad enough, but it’s about to get worse: Sorting through passengers’ dirty meal trays, Mina finds a note from someone — OK, it’s a terrorist who’s protesting climate change — that begins: “The following instructions will save your daughter’s life.” (Suspend any disbelief you have about how, out of all the flight attendants, Mina is the one who spots the note.)

She is told that she’ll have to allow a passenger access to the cockpit. “If you do it, your daughter will live. Don’t, and she will die.” Mina is paralyzed. “I never thought it would be like this,” she muses. “I imagined a loaded gun, a knife to a colleague’s throat. … I’d imagined the terror, the panic, the loss of control. I never imagined it would feel so lonely.”

Will she or won’t she? Mackintosh does a much better job getting inside her character’s head than either Newman or Fitzek; we’re right there with Mina as she agonizes over what to do. The action cuts between her inside the jet and Adam and Sophia at home in England, where very bad things are happening. Every few chapters there’s a page from one of the passengers on the plane, too. Multiple viewpoints have a tendency to derail a full-throttle narrative, but Mackintosh is a pro. She pulls it off.

I could have done without some of the gratuitous violence in the book — death by corkscrew, that kind of thing — but there’s no bloodshed in the final scene in the book, which almost made me sick as I read it. I mean that as a compliment of the highest order.

Tina Jordan is the deputy editor of the Book Review.

Follow New York Times Books on Facebook , Twitter and Instagram , s ign up for our newsletter or our literary calendar . And listen to us on the Book Review podcast .

Explore More in Books

Want to know about the best books to read and the latest news start here..

How did fan culture take over? And why is it so scary? Justin Taylor’s novel “Reboot” examines the convergence of entertainment , online arcana and conspiracy theory.

Jamaica Kincaid and Kara Walker unearth botany’s buried history  to figure out how our gardens grow.

A new photo book reorients dusty notions of a classic American pastime with  a stunning visual celebration of black rodeo.

Two hundred years after his death, this Romantic poet is still worth reading . Here’s what made Lord Byron so great.

Harvard’s recent decision to remove the binding of a notorious volume  in its library has thrown fresh light on a shadowy corner of the rare book world.

Bus stations. Traffic stops. Beaches. There’s no telling where you’ll find the next story based in Accra, Ghana’s capital . Peace Adzo Medie shares some of her favorites.

Each week, top authors and critics join the Book Review’s podcast to talk about the latest news in the literary world. Listen here .

• Politics & Social Sciences
• Politics & Government

Enjoy fast, free delivery, exclusive deals, and award-winning movies & TV shows with Prime Try Prime and start saving today with fast, free delivery

Amazon Prime includes:

Fast, FREE Delivery is available to Prime members. To join, select "Try Amazon Prime and start saving today with Fast, FREE Delivery" below the Add to Cart button.

• Cardmembers earn 5% Back at Amazon.com with a Prime Credit Card.
• Unlimited Free Two-Day Delivery
• Streaming of thousands of movies and TV shows with limited ads on Prime Video.
• A Kindle book to borrow for free each month - with no due dates
• Listen to over 2 million songs and hundreds of playlists
• Unlimited photo storage with anywhere access

Important:  Your credit card will NOT be charged when you start your free trial or if you cancel during the trial period. If you're happy with Amazon Prime, do nothing. At the end of the free trial, your membership will automatically upgrade to a monthly membership.

Buy new: $14.35 $14.35 FREE delivery Monday, May 6 on orders shipped by Amazon over $35 Ships from: Amazon Sold by: WildeWestMercantile

Return this item for free.

Free returns are available for the shipping address you chose. You can return the item for any reason in new and unused condition: no shipping charges

• Go to your orders and start the return
• Select the return method

Buy used: $6.20

Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) is a service we offer sellers that lets them store their products in Amazon's fulfillment centers, and we directly pack, ship, and provide customer service for these products. Something we hope you'll especially enjoy: FBA items qualify for FREE Shipping and Amazon Prime.

If you're a seller, Fulfillment by Amazon can help you grow your business. Learn more about the program.

Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required .

Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.

Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.

Image Unavailable

• To view this video download Flash Player

Follow the authors

Falling Short: The Coming Retirement Crisis and What to Do About It 1st Edition

Purchase options and add-ons.

• ISBN-10 9780190218898
• ISBN-13 978-0190218898
• Edition 1st
• Publisher Oxford University Press
• Publication date December 12, 2014
• Language English
• Dimensions 8.3 x 5.8 x 0.9 inches
• Print length 168 pages
• See all details

Customers who bought this item also bought

Editorial Reviews

Book description, about the author, product details.

• ASIN ‏ : ‎ 0190218894
• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Oxford University Press; 1st edition (December 12, 2014)
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 168 pages
• ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 9780190218898
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0190218898
• Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 10.2 ounces
• Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 8.3 x 5.8 x 0.9 inches
• #133 in Social Security (Books)
• #884 in Public Policy (Books)
• #1,976 in Retirement Planning (Books)

About the authors

Alicia haydock munnell.

Discover more of the author’s books, see similar authors, read author blogs and more

Charles D. Ellis

Customer reviews.

Customer Reviews, including Product Star Ratings help customers to learn more about the product and decide whether it is the right product for them.

To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. It also analyzed reviews to verify trustworthiness.

• Sort reviews by Top reviews Most recent Top reviews

Top reviews from the United States

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. please try again later..

• Amazon Newsletter
• About Amazon
• Accessibility
• Sustainability
• Press Center
• Investor Relations
• Amazon Devices
• Amazon Science
• Sell on Amazon
• Sell apps on Amazon
• Supply to Amazon
• Protect & Build Your Brand
• Become an Affiliate
• Become a Delivery Driver
• Start a Package Delivery Business
• Advertise Your Products
• Self-Publish with Us
• Become an Amazon Hub Partner
• › See More Ways to Make Money
• Amazon Visa
• Amazon Store Card
• Amazon Secured Card
• Amazon Business Card
• Shop with Points
• Credit Card Marketplace
• Reload Your Balance
• Amazon Currency Converter
• Your Account
• Your Orders
• Shipping Rates & Policies
• Amazon Prime
• Returns & Replacements
• Manage Your Content and Devices
• Recalls and Product Safety Alerts
• Conditions of Use
• Privacy Notice
• Consumer Health Data Privacy Disclosure
• Your Ads Privacy Choices