Queso, Just in Time

After losing his father, Quetzalcóatl Castillo — Queso for short — wakes up one morning to find himself transported back to 1985, where he befriends his father as a twelve-year-old boy. As the two grow close, Queso finds ways to subtly support his father through undiagnosed ADHD and academic challenges, while also discovering his family's history — even as he knows he must eventually return to his own time. From Pura Belpré Award-winning author Ernesto Cisneros, this funny and heartfelt time-travel story weaves together themes of family, grief, and love across the years.

Rich in themes of friendship and community, culture and diversity, and the importance of family legacy, this book is an ideal choice for bilingual classrooms, offering Latino students a window into their own cultural identity while inviting all readers into a story of belonging, loss, and love told through a distinctly Mexican-American lens.

Publishing Details

Author : Ernesto Ciscneros

Author Nationality : United States

Physical Details

Cover: Hardcover

Pages: 272

Year Published: 2026

Instructional Details

Reading Grade Level: 5th, 6th-8th

Genre: Fiction

Sub-Genre: Science Fiction

Theme: Family, Identity

Student Activity Link: Link