Larger	The Crossing (Point (Scholastic Inc.)) Author: Gary Paulsen
	Book Information Publisher: Scholastic Paperbacks Book Type: Paperback Rating: 3 ISBN-13: 9780439786614 - ISBN-10: 0439786614 Publication Date: 1/1/2006 Pages: 128 Reading Level: Young Adult Book Reviews

14yo Manny is an orphan in Juarez, Mexico. He competes with his bigger, meaner rivals for the coins American tourists throw off the bridge between Texas and his town. Across that heavily guarded bridge await a different world and a better existence.On the night when Manny dares the crossing--through the muddy shallows of the Rio Grande, past the searchlights and the border patrol--the young man encounters an old stranger who could prove to be an ally or an enemy. Manny can't tell for certain. But if he is to achieve his dream, then he must be willing to risk everything--even his life.