Love the illustrations and story. Typical Sarah Stewart where the tale unfolds through letters or diary entries. In this, a young child moves from Mexico to the United States. She sends letters back to her aunt in Mexico telling her of all the things she's learned, is doing, and how the family is getting along in their new settings. ( )

By reading the postcards from a young girl to her aunt in Mexico, readers learn about the hardships and joys of being an immigrant in the United States during the 1950s. Center Foldout.

The Quiet Place was a great book about a young girl moving to Michigan from Mexico. Isabel is having trouble adjusting to her new country as well as learning the language of English. Isabel writes to her Auntie Lupita to practice her English writing and to find comfort back home in Mexico. She writes to her Auntie Lupita about her daily ups and downs and how she is adjusting to this journey.
This story is a good eye-opener to see how foreign things are when someone moves from a different country, and the trials and tribulations they go through. ( )

43 months - my favorite author and illustrator combination. LOVE! Great story written in letter form with beautiful illustrations. A must read along with many of Sarah Stewarts other books.... The Gardener, The Library, and The Money Tree. ( )

I liked reading this story for many reasons. The story is told by a young girl, Isabel, who moves to America from Mexico. She writes her aunt, who still lives in Mexico, letters every few days filling her in on her new life. I like how the story provides hope because at the beginning Isabel is shy and hasn’t made new friends. By the end, she is celebrating her birthday with all the neighborhood kids and she is having a blast. Isabel signs all her letters, missing you, and the last letter she signs it saying, wishing you were here. It was nice to see that by the end, Isabel was happy with her new life and wished her aunt could have been here to celebrate instead of Isabel being back in Mexico. The events that take place are also believable. It is possible for a family from Mexico to move to America and begin a new life here. The story can also relate to children who have had a similar experience moving or for children who are about to move. The story is hopeful and shows the reader that moving to a new place can be scary, but can also bring many new and amazing memories. Lastly, the illustrations help a reader understand what’s being said. For example, one pages talks about making a snow angel. The illustration shows a bunch of snow and indented in the snow is an angel. It’s also believable because there are footprints in the snow from where Isabel was walking. The story is about Isabel moving to Mexico and writing letters to her aunt about her new life. At the beginning Isabel is shy and enjoys hiding out in large boxes. She calls these boxes her “quiet place”. In her quiet place, Isabel feels free and does whatever she wants. Throughout the story, she helps her mom bake cakes for parties. By the end of the story, Isabel meets new friends from one of the parties she helped bake a cake for. Isabel’s new friends come over to celebrate her birthday. The ending of the story is positive. Overall, I enjoyed reading this story. ( )