Canned and Crushed

Fourth grade’s tough. But how much trouble can one kid get into when he’s just trying to help his sister?

When Sandro Zapote finds out his little sister needs heart surgery, he is determined to help his parents raise the money so she can get treatment. Sandro’s dad is in the States illegally and must work two jobs to support the family. For one, he picks up roadkill for the department of streets and sanitation and gets paid by the carcass. For the other, he collects scrap metal to recycle for cash. Sandro helps his dad with some of the scrap metal heavy lifting, and one headboard, a weight bench, some gutters, and a few car parts later, Sandro has a brilliant idea: can collecting. Save the environment. Save his sister. Maybe even save some spending money for the fabulous, fast new bike he’s been coveting.

Well-meaning and with funny inner monologue, Sandro is the kind of person you can’t help but cheer for. He’s a boy who loves drawing, soccer, and his little sister. And whether he’s fishing a fuzzy, dust-coated turtle out from under his sister’s bed or organizing a school-wide can drive all by himself, Sandro is a smart, self-aware hero who makes just a few mistakes along the way.

Bibi Belford graduated with a BA in English from Westmont College and was a student teacher in a bilingual classroom before completing her master’s in bilingual literacy at Northern Illinois University. She currently works as a literacy coach and reading interventionist for an elementary school in Illinois.