Several worn spots to top and bottom edges. Bright, clean interior in solid binding (NOT ex-lib). Jacket shows some light foxing and rubbing, but no tears or chips. Protected in a Mylar sleeve. Personalized gift inscription "To the Kemper children" from the author on behalf of the children's aunt. Signed by the author beneath the inscription. Story of 12-year-old Juanita, a young Mexican-American girl, her family, and their struggles and triumphs against a backdrop of poverty in a Texas barrio. The author, as a young girl traveling with her father, saw a young Mexican-American girl and her grandfather selling tamales by a train station, and she wondered what her life was like and what happened when they went home. That scene provided inspiration for this story.