Josephine "Miss Mac" McKeever had taught English and Theatre Arts at Rosemont Middle School for so long that her colleagues sometimes joked that she would die in the classroom. So when she does just that, students, teachers, and administrators are stunned. After getting over the initial shock, the staff agrees that they need to do something very special to acknowledge Miss Mac's fifty-one years of dedication and suggest naming the school's auditorium after her. When Mrs. Frymire, her long-time colleague and friend, discovers a play written by Miss Mac, she knows that it would be the perfect memorial to present the play. But the teachers quickly learn that presenting a play isn't as easy as Miss Mac had always made it seem, and soon the entire school community is in an uproar. Seventh-grader and Golden Gloves boxer Marco Diaz is excited to be chosen to play Jim Bowie, the brave Texan who defended the Alamo against Santa Anna's Mexican Army. But his friend Raquel, an undocumented immigrant, calls him a sell-out, believing the play makes heroes out of the people who stole her ancestors' land. And Ms. Sandy Martinez, Miss Mac's replacement, finds the Mexican characters' dialogue politically incorrect and downright offensive. But Miss Mac's friends adamantly oppose making changes. Ms. Martinez also does not agree with giving students plum roles in exchange for parents' contributions and leaves the play in frustration. Everyone begins to wonder if they should just give up and cancel.
"Villareal takes on several important themes including illegal immigration, bullying, parent / teacher relationships, and bilingualism. Ultimately, many of the characters-and readers-learn that there can be more than one truth, more than one point of view."
