The Circuit: Stories from the Life of a Migrant Child by Francisco Jimenez
by Sam Arnold-Boyd on Jul.20, 2011, under Battle of the Books 2011-2012, Biography or Autobigraphy, Multicultural Fiction, Sam's Reviews
Who would like this book? Anyone (grades 6 and up) interested in what it would have been like for a young boy in a poor Mexican family working on farms in California in the 1950s.
Why? Panchito is a young boy in Mexico when his father (Papa) decides to move his family to California to pursue the American dream. Their experience as farm workers, following the crops, comes alive through the first-person narration of Panchito. He tells a series of stories filled with heart-breaking difficulties and moving, meaningful moments in his life as a growing boy. Panchito tells of his efforts to help his family and to “prove” himself, his desire to excel in school, and of his disappointment when he has to miss school. These experiences come alive with his simple descriptions of particular people and events that held special significance for him. The stories follow a loose chronology but are more of a series of vignettes rather than a full autobiography. They give a stirring portrait of the immigrant experience that will spark much discussion. Be prepared for a difficult ending.
This book is a 2011-2012 Battle of the Books selection.
The details: 116 p. 1997 Review by Samrarian
