In 2004, four undocumented Mexican teenagers arrived at the Marine Advanced Technology Education Robotics Competition at the University of California, Santa Barbara. No one had ever suggested to Oscar, Cristian, Luis, or Lorenzo that they would amount to much—but two inspiring high school science teachers convinced these kids to use their talents and build something grander than their wildest dreams: an underwater robot. Up against some of the best collegiate engineers in the country, the four Phoenix teenagers scraped together meager funds and their tech classroom's spare parts to astound not only the competition's judges, but themselves.
This young readers’ edition highlights these students’ insurmountable courage, intelligence, and determination to succeed, even when their country was against them. More timely now than ever, Spare Parts: Young Readers’ Edition is an accessible introduction to immigration and STEM, adapted by a prominent Mexican-American author.