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 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.