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A Border Kid's Poems #2
They Call Her Fregona: A Border Kid's Poems
A companion to the Pura Belpré Honor book They Call Me Güero
"You can be my boyfriend." It only takes five words to change Güero's life at the end of seventh grade. The summer becomes extra busy as he learns to balance new band practice with his old crew, Los Bobbys, and being Joanna Padilla's boyfriend. They call her "fregona" because she's tough, always sticking up for her family and keeping the school bully in check. But Güero sees her softness. Together they cook dollar-store spaghetti and hold hands in the orange grove, learning more about themselves and each other than they could have imagined. But when they start eighth grade, Joanna faces a tragedy that requires Güero to reconsider what it means to show up for someone you love.
Honoring multiple poetic traditions, They Call Her Fregona is a bittersweet first-love story in verse and the highly anticipated follow-up to They Call Me Güero.
"You can be my boyfriend." It only takes five words to change Güero's life at the end of seventh grade. The summer becomes extra busy as he learns to balance new band practice with his old crew, Los Bobbys, and being Joanna Padilla's boyfriend. They call her "fregona" because she's tough, always sticking up for her family and keeping the school bully in check. But Güero sees her softness. Together they cook dollar-store spaghetti and hold hands in the orange grove, learning more about themselves and each other than they could have imagined. But when they start eighth grade, Joanna faces a tragedy that requires Güero to reconsider what it means to show up for someone you love.
Honoring multiple poetic traditions, They Call Her Fregona is a bittersweet first-love story in verse and the highly anticipated follow-up to They Call Me Güero.
256 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2022
10 people are currently reading
300 people want to read
About the author
David Bowles
98 books1,185 followersDavid Bowles is a Mexican American author and translator from south Texas. He has written several award-winning titles, most notably THEY CALL ME GÜERO and MY TWO BORDER TOWNS
His work has also been published in multiple anthologies, plus venues such as The New York Times, Strange Horizons, School Library Journal, Rattle, Translation Review, and the Journal of Children’s Literature.
Additionally, David has worked on several TV/film projects. In 2019, he co-founded the hashtag and activist movement #DignidadLiteraria, which has negotiated greater Latinx representation in publishing. He is presently the president of the Texas Institute of Letters.
His work has also been published in multiple anthologies, plus venues such as The New York Times, Strange Horizons, School Library Journal, Rattle, Translation Review, and the Journal of Children’s Literature.
Additionally, David has worked on several TV/film projects. In 2019, he co-founded the hashtag and activist movement #DignidadLiteraria, which has negotiated greater Latinx representation in publishing. He is presently the president of the Texas Institute of Letters.
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
June 9, 2022
I LOVED They Call Her Fregona by David Bowles, the follow-up to his award-winning title They Call Me Guero. This is a YA novel-in-verse set in south Texas. Guero and his girlfriend, Joanna, are experiencing young love at the end of 7th grade and throughout that summer. On the first day of 8th grade, a tragedy happens to Joanna's family, an all-consuming one that leaves Guero feeling helpless and determined to do something to help. Joanna is tough and just as determined. This book has a lot of Spanish dialogue and words woven in throughout the text, with a glossary in the back for readers who may not be familiar with the language. Timely topics include immigration, gender identity, the term Latinx, and the sides of history not typically shared. Bowles seamlessly weaves in these topics throughout the novel with realistic and positive depictions of how the characters approach these issues. On a personal note, I loved all the south Texas/Tejano nuances....this is one of those books that will provide a reflection to many Tejanos and Latinxs. Thank you to Penguin and Netgalley for the advanced digital copy!
October 22, 2022
4.5
Loved the story which didn't end up with a Cinderella story but was more realistic in this world of division and hatred of "other." The poetry was very good, identifying the types of poems if not using free verse. The Spanish expression have a glossary to translate for us non-Spanish speakers. Well done.
Loved the story which didn't end up with a Cinderella story but was more realistic in this world of division and hatred of "other." The poetry was very good, identifying the types of poems if not using free verse. The Spanish expression have a glossary to translate for us non-Spanish speakers. Well done.
July 3, 2025
This book hit close to home in the best and hardest ways.
They Call Her Fregona continues Güero’s story, but the heart of this book is Joanna — a strong, resilient girl who earns her title as a fregona. The relationship between her and Güero is written with care, humor, and so much respect. It’s a love story, but it’s also about friendship, family, injustice, and standing by the people you care about.
What made this book truly special to me was the bilingual voice. The way Güero moves between English and Spanish felt so natural and real — it mirrors the way I live and speak every day. That kind of representation is rare, and David Bowles gets it right.
The themes — love, respect, injustice, resilience — are handled through the eyes of a young boy still learning how to navigate the world. I really appreciated how Bowles captured the reality that teens, especially border kids, often carry adult-level grief, fear, and responsibility while still being, well, kids. It’s rare to see that duality — the awkward sweetness of first love alongside the crushing reality of deportation and systemic injustice — written this well.
When Joanna’s father is deported, the emotional impact is heavy. It’s heartbreaking, especially because it’s not just fiction — it’s happening right now, and this book doesn’t shy away from showing how deeply it affects young people. Güero doesn’t try to “save” Joanna — he supports her, he stands with her, and that quiet solidarity is what made me love him as a narrator even more.
Highly recommend this to anyone who wants to feel something real, who understands the beauty and pain of growing up on the border, or who just wants a beautifully written, honest story.
Content Warnings:
Deportation, racism, immigration enforcement, family separation.
They Call Her Fregona continues Güero’s story, but the heart of this book is Joanna — a strong, resilient girl who earns her title as a fregona. The relationship between her and Güero is written with care, humor, and so much respect. It’s a love story, but it’s also about friendship, family, injustice, and standing by the people you care about.
What made this book truly special to me was the bilingual voice. The way Güero moves between English and Spanish felt so natural and real — it mirrors the way I live and speak every day. That kind of representation is rare, and David Bowles gets it right.
The themes — love, respect, injustice, resilience — are handled through the eyes of a young boy still learning how to navigate the world. I really appreciated how Bowles captured the reality that teens, especially border kids, often carry adult-level grief, fear, and responsibility while still being, well, kids. It’s rare to see that duality — the awkward sweetness of first love alongside the crushing reality of deportation and systemic injustice — written this well.
When Joanna’s father is deported, the emotional impact is heavy. It’s heartbreaking, especially because it’s not just fiction — it’s happening right now, and this book doesn’t shy away from showing how deeply it affects young people. Güero doesn’t try to “save” Joanna — he supports her, he stands with her, and that quiet solidarity is what made me love him as a narrator even more.
Highly recommend this to anyone who wants to feel something real, who understands the beauty and pain of growing up on the border, or who just wants a beautifully written, honest story.
Content Warnings:
Deportation, racism, immigration enforcement, family separation.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 10, 2022
Beautifully written coming-of-age novel that shows the power of friendship and love. Totally recommend. A very satisfying companion novel to They Call Me Güero.
July 5, 2023
“Poemas de un chavo de la frontera”
Joanna es una fregona!
Joanna es una fregona!
February 20, 2023
ay no, mejor no
August 1, 2022
David Bowles flexes compelling, artful storytelling skills and poetic artistry in They Call Her Fregona, a terrific dialogue-driven novel told in different genres of verse, and narrated by Mexican-American middle-schooler, Güero Casas, a sensitive, lovable, loyal poet and musician with uncommon maturity and integrity. The titular Fregona refers to Güero’s strong, bully-crushing, intelligent girlfriend, Joanna Padilla Benavides.
Suitable for middle school readers and up, They Call Her Fregona is a sequel to one of Bowlesʻ previous books, They Call Me Güero, though I can attest that this novel stands perfectly on its own – no knowledge of the previous book required. Many of the poems also code-switch between Español and English, as many of the characters, including Güero, Joanna, and their families, are bilingual; for non-Spanish speakers, like me, Bowles includes a helpful glossary of terms at the end of the book.
The novel is told in flashback: it is Christmas, and Güero and Joanna are currently separated. Flipping through the pages of his journal, Güero recalls the blooming of their romance as seventh graders experiencing first love, and the journey that he and Joanna have shared over the subsequent months, filled with both joy and sorrow. Trouble began the previous summer, when Narciso “Snake” Barrera, the vindictive grade bully, takes cruel revenge on both Joanna, who’d previously humiliated him, as well as Güero, whose father fired Snake’s father for theft. Snake gets his father to collaborate with a unscrupulous police officer, and the two men report Joanna’s father, Don Adán, who is undocumented, to the authorities. Joanna’s father is subsequently deported, and Güero, Joanna, and their friends and families come together to protest and attempt to find a just resolution to the problem.
Bowles does commendable work providing a culturally immersive experience into Güero and Joanna’s border town community, deftly addressing serious topics, such as immigration, deportation, colonialism, exploitation, cultural and gender identity, linguistic changes regarding pronouns like the singular, gender-neutral “they” and the inclusive “Latinx,” generational differences, pejorative attitudes towards Mexicans and Mexican Spanish, young love, racism, colorism, and social justice. I admired the author’s ability to contextualize these topics naturalistically, avoiding didacticism and preachiness. He also made an effort to diversify his characters and develop them in a genuine, non-diversity-checkbox way. For example, Lupe, one of Güero and Joanna’s close friends, is non-binary and suffers daily misgendering. Güero’s best friend, Bobby Lee, “Lee” for short, is gay and Korean-American, and the child of immigrants. The two buddies, having grown up together, have learned about each other’s cultural traditions, food, and home language, and even created their own private hybrid Korean-Spanish lingo: Hanmegsiko Sogeo. Most of all, They Call Her Fregona possesses so much warmth: it affirms family, friendship, community, and most of all, courage: the bravery to resolve conflict, build relationships, and speak one’s truth. Highly recommended.
Suitable for middle school readers and up, They Call Her Fregona is a sequel to one of Bowlesʻ previous books, They Call Me Güero, though I can attest that this novel stands perfectly on its own – no knowledge of the previous book required. Many of the poems also code-switch between Español and English, as many of the characters, including Güero, Joanna, and their families, are bilingual; for non-Spanish speakers, like me, Bowles includes a helpful glossary of terms at the end of the book.
The novel is told in flashback: it is Christmas, and Güero and Joanna are currently separated. Flipping through the pages of his journal, Güero recalls the blooming of their romance as seventh graders experiencing first love, and the journey that he and Joanna have shared over the subsequent months, filled with both joy and sorrow. Trouble began the previous summer, when Narciso “Snake” Barrera, the vindictive grade bully, takes cruel revenge on both Joanna, who’d previously humiliated him, as well as Güero, whose father fired Snake’s father for theft. Snake gets his father to collaborate with a unscrupulous police officer, and the two men report Joanna’s father, Don Adán, who is undocumented, to the authorities. Joanna’s father is subsequently deported, and Güero, Joanna, and their friends and families come together to protest and attempt to find a just resolution to the problem.
Bowles does commendable work providing a culturally immersive experience into Güero and Joanna’s border town community, deftly addressing serious topics, such as immigration, deportation, colonialism, exploitation, cultural and gender identity, linguistic changes regarding pronouns like the singular, gender-neutral “they” and the inclusive “Latinx,” generational differences, pejorative attitudes towards Mexicans and Mexican Spanish, young love, racism, colorism, and social justice. I admired the author’s ability to contextualize these topics naturalistically, avoiding didacticism and preachiness. He also made an effort to diversify his characters and develop them in a genuine, non-diversity-checkbox way. For example, Lupe, one of Güero and Joanna’s close friends, is non-binary and suffers daily misgendering. Güero’s best friend, Bobby Lee, “Lee” for short, is gay and Korean-American, and the child of immigrants. The two buddies, having grown up together, have learned about each other’s cultural traditions, food, and home language, and even created their own private hybrid Korean-Spanish lingo: Hanmegsiko Sogeo. Most of all, They Call Her Fregona possesses so much warmth: it affirms family, friendship, community, and most of all, courage: the bravery to resolve conflict, build relationships, and speak one’s truth. Highly recommended.
September 19, 2024
I really enjoyed Call Me Güero, but I LOVED They Call Her Fregona!!! Such an accurate and poignant depiction of border life. The book we needed!
July 27, 2022
I won’t re-summarize the story, but my points are:
-beautifully told
-moving beyond words
-the Spanish woven in is flawlessly done
-definitely more of a YA story than middle grade
-I love novels in verse and this is no exception.
Just wonderful.
-beautifully told
-moving beyond words
-the Spanish woven in is flawlessly done
-definitely more of a YA story than middle grade
-I love novels in verse and this is no exception.
Just wonderful.
July 11, 2022
“You can be my boyfriend.”
👨🏽
Guero is now in 8th grade, older and dating Joanna Padilla aka Fregona. They call her that because she’s strong and stands up to everyone, including the school bully. When Jo’s father is arrested by ICE, Guero learns what it means to show up for someone even when things are tough. A follow up to the award winning They Call Me Guero, this will be another life-changing #book.
👩🏽
I loved @davidobowles first title and adored this follow up as well. This MG novel in verse shares what it’s like to fall in love at thirteen, what communities can do for each other and how we’re all in this together. I could read his border poems forever. This novel releases 9.6. Preorder now!
CW: immigration arrest, deportation, police, bullying, hospitalization, blood, physical altercation, homophobia, refusal to use correct pronouns
4.5 ⭐️
👨🏽
Guero is now in 8th grade, older and dating Joanna Padilla aka Fregona. They call her that because she’s strong and stands up to everyone, including the school bully. When Jo’s father is arrested by ICE, Guero learns what it means to show up for someone even when things are tough. A follow up to the award winning They Call Me Guero, this will be another life-changing #book.
👩🏽
I loved @davidobowles first title and adored this follow up as well. This MG novel in verse shares what it’s like to fall in love at thirteen, what communities can do for each other and how we’re all in this together. I could read his border poems forever. This novel releases 9.6. Preorder now!
CW: immigration arrest, deportation, police, bullying, hospitalization, blood, physical altercation, homophobia, refusal to use correct pronouns
4.5 ⭐️
Read
December 9, 2022They Call Her Fregona: A Border Kid's Poems is David Bowles’s excellent new verse novel that can stand on its own or read as a companion to his They Call Me Güero: A Border Kid's Poems. Readers of They Call Me Güero will remember Joanna, also known as Fregona, who is Güero’s girlfriend. Joanna is a better fighter than all of the boys in her class, and she comes from a loving but tough family. She and Güero are devoted and respectful to each other as they struggle with issues involving family, school, friends, and social justice.
Fregona is more heavily plotted than Güero, but that is not at all a criticism. Where the first book emphasized setting and atmosphere, Fregona deals more directly with characters and conflicts, including a devastating deportation situation. My favorite thread in They Call Her Fregona involves Güero and his friends trying to form a little band that blends the musical influences of their cultural backgrounds. As in They Call Me Güero, David Bowles leans in to the possibilities of poetry as he shows Güero learning various types of poetic forms while always keeping things accessible and engaging for middle-grade readers.
Fregona is more heavily plotted than Güero, but that is not at all a criticism. Where the first book emphasized setting and atmosphere, Fregona deals more directly with characters and conflicts, including a devastating deportation situation. My favorite thread in They Call Her Fregona involves Güero and his friends trying to form a little band that blends the musical influences of their cultural backgrounds. As in They Call Me Güero, David Bowles leans in to the possibilities of poetry as he shows Güero learning various types of poetic forms while always keeping things accessible and engaging for middle-grade readers.
April 11, 2023
Even though the characters are in 7th grade, they have a mature relationship that looks more like what I associate with high school or older.
Certainly Guero is the most mature young man (under 30 years old) I've met in any piece of literature or in real life!
This story takes a rough, gritty setting and tough childhood circumstances made worse by hostile people in power, with a cover illustration to match, and brings out in short, often rhyming verses the sweetest, most loving story about two close and devoted friends.
The use of the terms "boyfriend" and "girlfriend" feel both accurate and misleading since the two do not conform to old-fashioned gender roles, and yet they experience a romantic love that is exactly how adult couples interact. It is lovely to see how they go about their relationship, in the midst of the other middle- or high-school issues that they need to grapple with.
Readers will have plenty to think about, write about if they need to analyze literature for school, learn about the border towns and the people who live there, and dream about for their own relationships. ALL in a SHORT, brief, poetic, novel in verse. Wow!
What a wonderful book!
Certainly Guero is the most mature young man (under 30 years old) I've met in any piece of literature or in real life!
This story takes a rough, gritty setting and tough childhood circumstances made worse by hostile people in power, with a cover illustration to match, and brings out in short, often rhyming verses the sweetest, most loving story about two close and devoted friends.
The use of the terms "boyfriend" and "girlfriend" feel both accurate and misleading since the two do not conform to old-fashioned gender roles, and yet they experience a romantic love that is exactly how adult couples interact. It is lovely to see how they go about their relationship, in the midst of the other middle- or high-school issues that they need to grapple with.
Readers will have plenty to think about, write about if they need to analyze literature for school, learn about the border towns and the people who live there, and dream about for their own relationships. ALL in a SHORT, brief, poetic, novel in verse. Wow!
What a wonderful book!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 11, 2023
I loved this second book in the Border Kid's Poem series. I think I liked it even better than the first book. This started off as a cute story of first love and gradually developed into a book about community and learning how to rally around people to support them through tough times. While the subject matter can get tough at times (dealing with matters around bullying, undocumented immigrants, deportation, and family separation) the poems are always told with such beautiful imagery and writing.
November 24, 2022
David Bowles’ ability to have his characters say the right things at the right times in the right ways continue to show the power of words and gives his teen and tween readers much food for thought. Don’t be surprised if it wins a Pura Belpré award, so stay tuned in January 2023 when winners are announced. Remember that you heard it here first! Read more about this great book on my blog: https://shouldireaditornot.wordpress....
January 10, 2023
This is a companion to They Call Me Guero, which I loved. Guero is navigating the start of 8th grade, his first romance, racism, xenophobia, and tensions in the community as ICE raids and deports members of the community. Guero uses different forms of poetry to narrate this tale as he discovers his voice and stands by and supports his first girlfriend, Joanna, after the sudden deportation of her father. Text mainly in English, with some Spanish.
October 31, 2022
Gorgeous and fraught verse novel that is a sequel to They Call Me Güero, with the same characters, but centering Güero's relationship to his girlfriend, Johanna, the spitfire who defended him against bullies in the first book. A deeper and sadder story than the first book, this one will stay with me for a long time. David Bowles is so talented and creates such heartfelt work.
April 30, 2023
4.5
I'm so happy my library recommended this book to me. It does a fantastic job of blending poetry into a plot line many younger readers could follow. I loved the inclusion of Spanish (and the glossary), and how it went addressing many current topics.
I'm so happy my library recommended this book to me. It does a fantastic job of blending poetry into a plot line many younger readers could follow. I loved the inclusion of Spanish (and the glossary), and how it went addressing many current topics.
November 13, 2022
Public library copy
March 8, 2023
I really love David Bowles’ poetry. And this story was 🔥🤩❤️😩so many emotions.
April 23, 2023
Raw and relevant.
July 4, 2023
Outstanding! Couldn't put it down! Relatable, romantic, rough at times, and inspiring!
September 12, 2024
Timely and so lovely
December 12, 2024
A rare thing; a sequel as good as the first.
February 27, 2024
While we focus on a new character, our narrator is the same from book one. The character we focus on is through the eyes of this narrator and how she fits into his world, but how he tries to help her and fit into hers. There are a few modern touches that might not be needed, but are good for the idea of representation. Current events play out under the love-adventure of two eighth graders trying to find out who they are, where they fit and the idea of family.
August 14, 2022
This review is based on an ARC.
I was immersed from the start. I was new to this world and the author did a great job introducing the characters and setting so I was not lost or uninterested. It was a beautiful blend of different forms of poetry and added to the story's overall tone. The main character was a breath of fresh air and had a beautiful growth arc.
I was immersed from the start. I was new to this world and the author did a great job introducing the characters and setting so I was not lost or uninterested. It was a beautiful blend of different forms of poetry and added to the story's overall tone. The main character was a breath of fresh air and had a beautiful growth arc.
April 7, 2023
Una historia (en poemas) bonita y fácil de leer. Es un libro juvenil y ya me hacia falta leer uno, creo que por eso me gustó tanto.
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews