Chicos de la Bebida

At the start of his summer vacation following 6th grade, Ryan arrives at his mom’s Colorado Springs home to learn that she has been transferred to in a small fishing town resort in Campeche, Mexico, and they’re moving—now. Within hours, Ryan and his mom are on a plane to Mexico. There, Ryan is put to work as a Chico de la Bebida, a bar waiter on a private beach with boys his age.

Battling a bully twice his size, a boss who resembles Darth Vader, and the embarrassment of exposing parts that never sees the light of day back at home, Ryan makes new friends with a Jamaican bartender, a boy named Pablo, and Pablo’s grandfather. Together, they find ways to help Ryan survive the summer and to care for a heart beyond his own.

©2022 John Hope (P)2022 John Hope