The Walls of Pedro Garcia

From the book jacket: Pedro García was born a man and he lived as a man and he knew one day that he would die as one.” But Pedro García is twelve years old.

Pedro García works hard alongside his grandfather as a servant on the estate of Roberto de Lupe. And when Señor de Lupe orders a wall to be built around his estate – a wall that will block the view of the river and the breezes and trap in the heat and the smells – Pedro knows he must act as a man and speak to Señor de Lupe.

Pedro’s grandfather sees another wall – the wall of boastful pride that builds up in Pedro, block by block, and that keeps him from truly becoming a man.

Kevin McColley’s debut novel, The Walls of Pedro García, raises questions about the issues that separate a boy from a man and introduces an original voice in young adult fiction.