¹     Nina Gomez had a new backpack. In it she carried pencils, paper, and other school supplies. On her feet were a new pair of shoes. Her mother was by her side. Still, her heart raced with fear.
 
²     "Mami," Nina said, gripping her mother's hand, "will there be other Latinos in my class?"
 
³     "We will not know until we get there," her mother replied. "I am sure you will make friends. Do not be afraid."
 
⁴     Nina missed her old school. There she had Latino and also non-Latino friends. Why did they have to move? What if her new classmates didn't like her? What if her teacher didn't like her? Nina missed Jodi and Carmen. Were they on the way to their first day of school? Were they thinking about her and missing her, too?

Paragraphs 5 to 12:
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