Winner of 2021 Royal Dragonfly Book Award for middle grade fiction and Award winning book in 2022 Catholic Press Awards, Catholic Media Association. Heartwarming, exciting tale for middle grade boys and girls, told through the eyes of middle schooler Victor Ortega, as he looks back on how he survived fifth grade. Told with humor and inspiration, sure to motivate readers with their courage and faith. Victor faces fifth-grade issues--his beloved father's temporary absence, a new school, class bully, scary mountains at night, unnerving PE dance class--plus a hair-raising escape and chase. All are overcome with the help of faith, family, and friends.

Kids in any community can relate to Victor's adventures and misadventures through growing pains of the middle years.

Beautifully illustrated, Victor's narrative keeps the story witty and vivid as his troubles pile up. When will his father return from Mexico? Why can't the bully just leave him alone? Can he do it on his own? Or can Victor--with the help of family and friends--find a way to Survive Being a Kid? Readers enjoy the book's humor and adventure, while sharing Victor's growth in faith and maturity.

This story shows Mexican American family life with warmth and respect. The author lived happily for a dozen years in a Mexican American neighborhood in Denver, Colorado and taught kids like Victor, Akeem, Isobel, and others. For parents, teachers, and librarians, the newSong Press website has a link to a free discussion and activity guide: www.newSongpress.net/Victor