I enjoyed the message of the book (or at least what I thought the message was) and the character development, but I didn't like the writing. I thought the writing was very stale and boring. I do wish this story was mainly written from the Sergeant's pov because I personally found him more interesting. The ending I felt was kind of lacking. I felt like something was missing in the book.

Finished reading The Crossing by Gary Paulsen. He's a prolific author that writes in a number of ways.

Many of his works are coming of age stories.

This one seems to be, but it is not. You'll meet a young boy, a street urchin (one step...) and it seems like you'll follow him through his trials, but you don't. You'll see his life, you'll hear his desire, you may even think the book is about him.

No.

The alcoholic marine stops. He hears him...as he heard so many others. So...the little boy wants me to ask. Just like all the others...all the others lying against the green...the ones I could not help...they all wanted me to ask. They all wanted me to ask: "What do you want me to do?"

This time he asked the question and did not abandon his duty.

We have a duty to others (to help others) because of who we are. Not because of who they are, or because some authority demands it, but because of who we are.

A well written book but I had to drag myself through it. I never really ended up caring much about the two main characters, though the sergeant was a little more interesting than Manny.
Still gave it 3/5 though because it is ultimately intended for teenage audiences,
and I feel like I'm being too harsh on a book that manages to inform young adults about a topic as dark as this one in a way that doesn't feel textbook.

This book takes place in a town near the border of the United States and Mexico. This town is called Juarez, Mexico, a somewhat medium sized town with tons of people to meet like Manny. Manny is the main character of the story and meets a tall sergeant half way through the book. The tall sergeants name is Sergeant Robert which comes from the United States to drink. First Manny is a boy with red hair, freckles, and very slim. He's like this because he doesn't have the money to pay for food so he goes to 2 by 4 where a girl named Maria sometimes gives him. Manny wants to cross the border to find a job on the American side and get money to pay off Maria for all the times she has given him food. Later he tries to cross the border with some food that Maria gave him. He had a strategy to go across but ended up getting himself caught by the people that take kids and sell them in Mexico. Luckly for Manny he has quick speed and got away but not for long. As a result of escaping he ran into the tall sergeant pukeing up all the whiskey he had drank at a club. Manny saw the sergeants wallet and decides to grab it but ends up making a big mistake. Now to find out the rest go get the book yourself and read it.
Sincerely I really like the book due to the amazing action in the story. Another reason is that it takes place in Mexico which is one of my favorite country's. Honestly I don't think I can find another amazing book like this due to the excitement and everything. Also the book was very easy to understand and the authors style was amazing. I would definitely read another book from the author. I recommend this book very much and give it 5 stars. The part that interested me the most was when he crossed the border or did he?

REQUIRED AUTHOR

The Crossing is a split narrative going between the voices of Manny, a Mexican orphan who lives on the streets, and Sergeant Robert S. Locke, a Vietnam War veteran and army sergeant working across the border from Manny in Texas. Manny is determined to cross the border and make a new life in the U.S. while Robert is just trying to drown out the ghosts inside his head. They cross paths one night when Manny tries to steal Robert’s wallet and then again and again. They begin an unlikely friendship and try to help each other achieve their respective goals. The different voices create a very interesting dichotomy. Both voices are clear and believable, and Paulsen interweaves them seamlessly. It’s a short book, but the voices are great, and I enjoyed it. I would recommend it for ages 10-15.

tEveryday men, women, and children risk their lives to cross illegally from Mexico into the United States. News stories usually focus on statistics, money spent, and politicians’ positions, rather than on the violence and extreme poverty suffered. Gary Paulsen, critically acclaimed author of popular young adult fiction (Hatchet and Dogsong), puts a face on the struggle for survival as he tells the story of one young boy in The Crossing.
tThe Crossing is about the chance meeting of two very different and troubled characters in the border town of Juárez, Mexico. Manny Bustos is a fourteen year old orphan who lives on the streets and sleeps in a cardboard box. Constantly on the edge of starvation, he begs for money from American tourists and fights bigger boys to keep the change he catches. He’s always on the move to avoid capture by “street wolves” (human traffickers). Sure he cannot survive this way much longer, desperation drives him to dare a night time crossing. Manny’s attempt fails because of the sudden appearance of the border patrol on the U.S. side and the street wolves in the ravine. He flees back to Juárez, escaping through a maze of alleys where he first meets the man who will change his life forever.
tSergeant Robert S. Locke is a Vietnam veteran and Army prefect stationed at Fort Bliss in El Paso, Texas on the other side of the border. Haunted by the deaths of his fellow soldiers, he comes to Juárez on leave just to drink; trying to numb his brain and silence the cries of his dead friends. One night, while the sergeant vomits, in the alley behind a bar, he encounters Manny. The orphan sees an opportunity in the drunken U.S. soldier and tries to steal his wallet---unsuccessfully. The boy is surprised when he is not harshly punished and decides to befriend the troubled man. On the second meeting, the sergeant treats Manny to a lunch that turns into a feast, as he allows the boy to eat as much as he wants. They end the day by going to a bullfight. The boy accepts the violence as normal, but the man is disturbed by it’s senselessness.
tManny is young, alone and scared. To survive, he has to be both smart and careful, but also brave and daring at times. He has a realistic view of life and accepts its severity without feeling sorry for himself. He may feel helpless to change his condition, but never hopeless. The sergeant refers to himself as “the man in the mirror”; a neat, clean-shaven, tightly controlled, responsible military man. His outward appearance holds together a man that is mentally scarred by war. Both Manny and the sergeant seek escape from their troubled lives. It is impossible for the man to find lasting peace by drinking. Only Manny has a real chance---with the man’s help.
tThe Crossing is a short, easy to read book that immediately draws the reader in with a good story line, interesting characters, and vivid setting. It has a subtle, but strong, theme of being our “brother’s keeper.” It makes the reader think about accidental meetings, the impact we have on others, and our responsibility to help even strangers. It is a powerful story with a surprising ending that will have a deep and lasting effect on the reader.

The crossing is a great book geared towards young adults. I enjoyed reading this book and think everyone should pick it up for a quick read. It is about a young boy in Mexico that lives on the streets and fends for himself. He dreams to cross the border in hopes of making a life for himself in the US. He meets a US soldier that is drinking his days away in an attempt to escape from his own pain. They form a small friendship. Read it to see for yourself.

A masterfully told story of what it means to struggle to survive, redemption, and the humanity in each of us. Manny and Robert, and their meetings, are vivid and real not only in how Paulsen uses simple strokes to give us our base image of them, but also by describing their movements, their slight changes in how they carry themselves and react, and even their thoughts to paint a full moving image of who Manny and Robert are. The people around them and their activities all further enhance Manny and Robert as real, relateable people. Young or old, anyone and everyone, can learn a great deal from these two characters and their story. (The caveat is that there is a great deal of 'adult' matter described and/or mentioned in the book - smoking, drinking, child kidnappers, and nude dancers - so parents should use their judgment about if their child is mature enough to understand, and read it with their child so that they can discuss the harsh realities presented in the book.)

Well worth the read, I highly recommend it.

In the story The Crossing, Manny, a homeless child living on the streets of Juarez, Mexico dreams of crossing into the United States. He crosses paths with Robert, an American serviceman who helps him with his hunger and obtaining his dreams of life in the United States. Both battle demons of their past.

I actually liked this book, but I am concerned about what age group should read it. Paulsen often writes stories with a political agenda, and though they tell of real circumstances these stories are generally dark and dispairing. He also writes stories for young children. The subject matter in this book is, I feel, for mature readers who can understand the under currents of the sergeant's problems and alcoholism as well as his internal dialogue. There are too many adult issues in this book to inflict it on younger readers. I also take issue with Gary Paulson's interview at the end in which he states he hates the army and had an alcohol problem there himself. A younger audience needs an honest, positive message and something they can relate to. An older audience needs honesty,too, but a more complete and balanced statement to explain the opinion or feeling.

Gary Paulsen did a nice job on the plot of this book but he coud've made the point of it clearer. There are a few parts of this book that some children shoudn't read because it shows many of the bad sides of life. It coudve been more positive. I also believe he coud've done a better job on the ending of this book. There were also many good parts of this book such as the build up to the main events. He did a great job on showing the main character, Manny's backround. He also did good on expressing his poverty and his view on it. Although his charater developement wasn't too good, he still had great traits the whole time. For example, he was extremely determined to make the crossing to America and didn't thnk about what could go wrong. He didn't let what other people said about his idea of the crossing stop him. He really wanted to live a better life out of poverty and this goal of his is well expressed throughout the entire book. Over all, There was a little more good things about this book than bad things. I would reccomend this book to anyone who likes books about adventure and suspense.