Daily children’s book recommendations and events from Anita Silvey.
Discover the stories behind the children’s book classics . . .
The new books on their way to becoming classics . . .
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May has been designated both Personal History Month and Latino Book Month. Both experiences can be found in one of the most remarkable autobiographies of the last twenty years, Francisco Jiménez’s The Circuit: Stories from the Life of a Migrant Child. Now a university professor, Jiménez began his journey toward United States citizenship as a child when he and his family were illegal immigrants and migrant workers in California.
In the The Circuit, he explores his own story, showing it through the eyes of young Francisco. That life begins as he enters the United States, “Under the Wire,” and ends with the immigrant guard (INS) removing him from his eighth grade classroom for deportation. In between, the family constantly moves around searching for work. Francisco struggles with English and has to repeat first grade because he does not understand anything his teacher says.
Yet nothing in these chapters, which work independently as single stories, even hints at bitterness or anger. All contain moments of grace, where good things happen to the family. Francisco begins to work at age six. Despite his manual labor responsibilities, he finds himself fascinated with books—and he ultimately learns to master English. Francisco, his parents, and seven siblings live in tents or shacks. Yet even in these cramped conditions, he enjoys the simple things of life like playing guessing games or listening to ghost stories.
These dozen stories set in the 1940s have often been described as The Grapes of Wrath told from the Mexican-American point of view. When Jimenez read Steinbeck’s masterpiece in college, he felt it was the first book that he could truly relate to: “For the first time, I realized the power of the written word, that an artist can write creatively and make a difference in people’s lives.”
Francisco continued his saga in Breaking Through and Reaching Out. Eventually, his family returned legally to the United States, and he became the embodiment of the American dream. Perfect for use with ESL students, The Circuit explores the migrant experience and showcases an appealing young boy with a strong work ethic. For thoughtful ten- to fourteen-year-old readers as well as adults, this book can alter the way they look at current headlines and even their own lives.
Here’s a passage from The Circuit:
Often during recess I stayed with the caterpillar. Sometimes it was hard to spot him because he blended in with the green leaves and twigs. Every day I brought him leaves from the pepper and cypress trees that grew on the playground.
Just in front of the caterpillar, lying on top of the cabinet, was a picture book of caterpillars and butterflies. I went through it, page by page, studying all the pictures and running my finger lightly over the caterpillars and the bright wings of butterflies and the many patterns on them. I knew caterpillars turned into butterflies because Roberto had told me, but I wanted to know more. I was sure information was in the words written underneath each picture in large black letters. I tried to figure them out by looking at the pictures. I did this so many times that I could close my eyes and see the words, but I could not understand what they meant.
Also recommended:
- Breaking Through by Francisco Jiménez
- Reaching Out by Francisco Jiménez
Additional Information
A few other events for
- Happy birthday Betty Miles (The Real Me), Caroline Arnold (The Terrible Hodag and the Animal Catchers), Deborah Nourse Lattimore (Cinderhazel), and Bruce Coville (Jeremy Thatcher, Dragon Hatcher).
- It’s the birth date of Margret Rey (1906-1996), Curious George series.
- In 1866, U.S. Congress eliminates the half-dime coin and replaces it with the five-cent piece, or nickel. Read The Buffalo Nickel by Taylor Morrison and A Nickel, a Trolley, a Treasure House by Sharon Reiss Baker, illustrated by Beth Peck.
- It’s Love a Tree Day. Read A Tree is Nice by Janice Udry, illustrated by Marc Simont.