Content Warning: This section of the guide contains themes of displacement and challenges of military family life, including references to military deployment in conflict zones, military weapons, and fatality.

Nestor Lopez is used to being the new kid. Nestor’s father works for the US Army, and frequent moves are part of his life: “When you’re Nestor Lopez, son of Sergeant First Class Raúl Lopez, every time the Army says ‘move,’ you move” (10). At the age of 12, Nestor has already moved six times. He has lived on five Army bases across the US—in Georgia, Colorado, Washington, Kentucky, and Texas—and two days ago, Nestor and his mother moved to New Haven, Texas, to live with Nestor’s Abuela in Nestor’s father’s childhood home.

Nestor is the family champion of packing and unpacking—it only takes him five minutes and 34 seconds to pack for the move to New Haven. His secret is he never fully unpacks or settles in, knowing his family will move again soon. Nestor has another secret: He can talk to animals, though the raven that’s keeping him company while he unpacks is the most annoying bird he’s ever met. The raven tells Nestor that Abuela cooks “raccoons and armadillos for dinner” (3), which Nestor knows isn’t true.