The 2010 Pura Belpré Medal for Narrative was presented to Julia Alvarez for her novel Return to Sender. Set on a farm in Vermont, Return to Sender tells the story of Tyler Paquette and Maria Cruz, two eleven-year-olds who appear to be total opposites. However, through themes such as illegal immigration, death, and cultural differences, Maria and Tyler learn that they are both growing up similar situations. Return to Sender tells the stories of Tyler and Maria through the use of split character perspective. Each chapter is divided into two points-of-view; Tyler’s narration begins the chapter, and Maria’s writings follow to conclude the chapter. Through this style, Alvarez allows readers to see the similarities between the characters, while
