Breaking Through

By Francisco Jiménez

At the age of fourteen, Francisco Jiménez, together with his older brother Roberto and his mother, are caught by la migra. Forced to leave their home in California, the entire family travels all night for twenty hours by bus, arriving at the U.S. and Mexican border in Nogales, Arizona. In the months and years that follow during the late 1950s-early 1960s, Francisco, his mother and father, and his seven brothers and sister not only struggle to keep their family together, but also face crushing poverty, long hours of labor, and blatant prejudice. How they sustain their hope, their good-heartedness, and tenacity is revealed in this moving, Pura Belpré Honor-winning sequel to The Circuit. Without bitterness or sentimentality, Francisco Jiménez finishes telling the story of his youth.

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Release date: Oct 1, 2002
• ISBN: 9780547349824

Francisco Jiménez

Francisco Jiménez emigrated from Tlaquepaque, Mexico, to California, where he worked for many years in the fields with his family. He received both his master’s degree and his Ph.D. from Columbia University and is now the chairman of the Modern Languages and Literature Department at Santa Clara University, the setting of much of his newest novel, Reaching Out. He is the Pura Belpre Honor winning author of The Circuit, Breaking Through, and La Mariposa. He is also the recipient of the John Steinbeck Award. He lives with his family in Santa Clara, California.

Book preview

© 2001 by Francisco Jiménez

All rights reserved. For information about permission to reproduce selections from this book, write to Permissions, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company, 215 Park Avenue South, New York, New York 10003.

www.hmhco.com

The Library of Congress has cataloged the print edition as follows:

Jiménez, Francisco, 1943–

Breaking through / Francisco Jiménez.

p. cm.

Sequel to: The circuit.

Summary: Having come from Mexico to California ten years ago, fourteen-year-old Francisco is still working in the fields but fighting to improve his life and complete his education.

ISBN 978-0-618-01173-5 (English hardcover)

ISBN 978-0-618-34248-8 (English paperback)

1. Mexican Americans—Juvenile literature. [1. Mexican Americans—Biography. 2. Agricultural laborers—literature. 3. California—literature.] I. Title.

PZ7.J57525 Br 2001 [Fic]—dc21 2001016941

eISBN 978-0-547-34982-4

v2.1014

To my family

Acknowledgments

I would like to thank my brother, Roberto, and my mother, Joaquina, for providing me with a wealth of personal stories, some of which I have incorporated in this book. Special thanks to my immediate family—Laura, Pancho, Lori, Carlo Vicente, Miguel, and Tomás—for patiently listening to various drafts and offering helpful comments.

I wish to thank the community of my childhood, whose courage, tenacity, faith, and hope in the midst of adversity have been a constant inspiration to me in my writing and in my personal and professional life.

I have lasting gratitude to my teachers, whose guidance and faith in my ability helped me break through many barriers.

Thanks to many students, colleagues, and friends, especially Fr. Paul Locatelli, S.J., Fr. Stephen Privett, S.J., Peter Facione, Don Dodson, Alma García, Susan Erickson, and Alan Bern, for encouraging me to continue writing.

I am thankful to Santa Clara University for giving me the time to write this book and for valuing my work.

Finally, I am also indebted to my editor, Ann Rider, for her valuable suggestions for improvement and her gentle encouragement to write from the heart.

There is at bottom only one problem in the world . . .

How does one break through?

How does one get into the open?

How does one burst the cocoon and become a butterfly?

—Thomas Mann, Dr. Faustus

Forced Out

I lived in constant fear for ten long years, from the time I was four until I was fourteen years old.

It all started back in the late 1940s when Papá, Mamá, my older brother, Roberto, and I left El Rancho Blanco, a small village nestled on barren, dry hills several miles north of Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico, and headed to California, hoping to leave our life of poverty behind. I remember how excited I was making the trip on a second-class train traveling north from Guadalajara to Mexicali. We traveled for two days and nights. When we arrived at the United States–Mexico border, Papá told us that we had to cross the barbed-wire fence without being seen by la migra, the immigration officers dressed in green uniforms. During the night we dug a hole underneath the wire wall and wiggled like snakes under it to the other side. If anyone asks you where you were born, Papá said firmly, "tell them Colton, California. If la migra catches you, they’ll send you back to Mexico." We were picked up by a woman whom Papá had contacted in Mexicali. She drove us, for a fee, to a tent labor camp on the outskirts of Guadalupe, a small town on the coast. From that day on, for the next ten years, while we traveled from place to place throughout California, following the crops and living in migrant labor camps, I feared being caught by the Border Patrol.

As I got older, my fear of being deported grew. I did not want to return to Mexico because I liked going to school, even though it was difficult for me, especially English class. I enjoyed learning, and I knew there was no school in El Rancho Blanco. Every year Roberto and I missed months of school to help Papá and Mamá work in the fields. We struggled to make ends meet, especially during the winter, when work was scarce. Things got worse when Papá began to have back problems and had trouble picking crops. Luckily, in the winter of 1957, Roberto found a part-time job working year-round as a janitor at Main Street Elementary School in Santa Maria, California.

We settled in Bonetti Ranch, where we had lived in army barracks off and on for the past few years. My brother’s job and mine—thinning lettuce and picking carrots after school and on weekends—helped support our family. I was excited because we had finally settled in one place. We no longer had to move to Fresno at the end of every summer and miss school for two and a half months to pick grapes and cotton and live in army tents or old garages.

But what I feared most happened that same year. I was in my eighth-grade social studies class at El Camino Junior High School in Santa Maria. I was getting ready to recite the preamble to the Declaration of Independence, which our class had to memorize. I had worked hard at memorizing it and felt confident. While I waited for class to start, I sat at my desk and recited it silently one last time:

We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness . . .

I was ready.

After the bell rang, Miss Ehlis, my English and social studies teacher, began to take roll. She was interrupted by a knock on the door. When she opened it, I saw the school principal and a man behind him. As soon as I saw the green uniform, I panicked. I felt like running, but my legs would not move. I trembled and could feel my heart pounding against my chest as though it too wanted to escape. My eyes blurred. Miss Ehlis and the officer walked up to me. This is him, she said softly, placing her right hand on my shoulder.

Are you Francisco Jiménez? he asked firmly. His deep voice echoed in my ears.

Yes, I responded, wiping my tears and looking down at his large, black shiny boots. At that point I wished I were someone else, someone with a different name. My teacher had a sad and pained look in her eyes. I followed the immigration officer out of the classroom and into his car marked BORDER PATROL. I climbed in the front seat, and we drove down Broadway to Santa Maria High School to pick up Roberto, who was in his sophomore year. As cars passed by, I slid lower in the seat and kept my head down. The officer parked the car in front of the school and asked me to wait for him while he went inside the administration building.

A few minutes later, the officer returned with Roberto following him. My brother’s face was as white as a sheet. The officer asked me to climb into the back seat with Roberto. "Nos agarraron, hermanito," Roberto said, quivering and putting his arm around my shoulder.

Yes, they caught us, I repeated. I had never seen my brother so sad. Angry, I added in a whisper, But it took them ten years. Roberto quickly directed my attention to the officer with a shift of his eyes and put his index finger to his lips, hushing me. The officer turned right on Main Street and headed toward Bonetti Ranch, passing familiar sites I figured I would never see again: Main Street Elementary School; Kress, the five-and-dime store; the Texaco gas station where we got our drinking water. I wondered if my friends at El Camino Junior High would miss me as much as I would miss them.

Do you know who turned you in? the officer asked, interrupting my thoughts.

No, Roberto answered.

It was one of your people, he said, chuckling.

I could not imagine whom it could have been. We never told anyone we were here illegally, not even our best friends. I looked at Roberto, hoping he knew the answer. My brother shrugged his shoulders. Ask him who it was, I whispered.

No, you ask him, he responded.

The officer, who wore large, dark green sunglasses, must have heard us, because he glanced at us through the rear-view mirror and said, Sorry, can’t tell you his name.

When we arrived at Bonetti Ranch, a Border Patrol van was parked in front of our house, which was one of many dilapidated army barracks that Bonetti, the owner of the ranch, bought after the Second World War and rented to farm workers. My whole family was outside, standing by the patrol car. Mamá was sobbing and caressing Rubén, my youngest brother, and Rorra, my little sister. They hung on to Mamá’s legs like two children who had just been found after being lost. Papá stood between my two younger brothers, Trampita and Torito. Both cried silently as Papá braced himself on their shoulders, trying to ease his back pain. Roberto and I climbed out of the car and joined them. The immigration officers, who towered over everyone, searched the ranch for other undocumented residents, but found none.

We were hauled into the Border Patrol van and driven to San Luis Obispo, the immigration headquarters. There we were asked endless questions and given papers to sign. Since Papá did not know English and Mamá understood only a little, Roberto translated for them. Papá showed them his green card, which Ito, the Japanese sharecropper for whom we picked strawberries, had helped him get years before. Mamá showed birth certificates for Trampita, Torito, Rorra, and Rubén, who were born in the United States. Mamá, Roberto, and I did not have documentation; we were the only ones being forced to leave. Mamá and Papá did not want to separate our family. They pleaded with the immigration officer in charge to allow us to stay a few more days so that we could leave the country together. The officer finally agreed and told us we could leave on a voluntary basis. He gave us three days to report to the U.S. immigration office at the border in Nogales, Arizona.

The next morning as we were getting ready for our trip back to Mexico, I went outside and watched the school bus pick up kids from the ranch. As it drove away, I felt empty inside and had a pain in my chest. I went back inside to help pack. Papá and Mamá were sitting at the kitchen table surrounded by my brothers and sister, who listened quietly as my parents discussed our trip. Papá took out the metal box in which he kept our savings and counted it. We don’t have much, but we’ll have to live on the other side of the border with the little we have. Maybe it’ll last us until we fix our papers and come back legally, he said.

And with God’s help, we will! Mamá said. There’s no doubt.

I am not that sure, but we’ll try, Papá responded.

I was happy to hear Papá and Mamá say this. I relished the thought of returning to Santa Maria, going back to school, and not fearing la migra anymore. I knew Roberto felt the same. He had a sparkle in his eyes and a big smile.

Papá and Mamá decided to cross the border in Nogales because they had heard that the immigration office there was not as busy as the one in Tijuana or Mexicali. We packed a few belongings, stored the rest in our barrack, and left our Carcachita, our old jalopy, locked and parked in front. Joe and Espy, our next-door neighbors, drove us to the Greyhound bus station on North Broadway in Santa Maria. We bought our tickets to Nogales and boarded. Papá and Rorra sat across the aisle from Roberto and me. Torito and Trampita sat in front of us. Roberto closed his eyes and leaned his head back. Tears rolled down his cheeks. He puckered his lower lip and clenched his hands. I placed my left arm over his shoulder and looked out the window. The gray sky threatened rain. A boy about my age waved good-bye to a couple sitting behind us. He reminded me of Miguelito, my best friend in the third grade in Corcoran. I missed him for a long time after he and his family moved from the same labor camp we lived in.

We left Santa Maria Valley, passing by acres and acres of strawberry, artichoke, and alfalfa fields. We went through small towns and cities I had never heard of. Once we entered Arizona, the green fields and rolling hills gave way to desert plains and rugged mountains. I enjoyed watching jackrabbits leap suddenly from the cover of desert shrubs, land beside our speeding bus, and bolt back into the brush. Trampita and Torito played a game to see who spotted the most rabbits, but Papá had to stop it because they started quarreling. Torito accused Trampita of seeing double and Trampita claimed Torito did not know how to count.

We went by adobe houses with no front yards and unpaved streets. Papá said they reminded him of places in Mexico. As we approached some foothills of large mountains, there were hundreds of cactuses. "Look, viejo, Mamá said, pointing out the window. Those nopales look like poor men stretching out

Reviews for Breaking Through

[librolindsay · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Only 2 stars because a couple passages managed to tug on my heartstrings a little bit. Otherwise, I have found far more cohesive, moving testaments to border issues. And WTF is up with that ending? For realz.

[lorifox · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The Circuit by Francisco Jiménez is a collection of stories about the author’s childhood experiences growing up in a migrant family. Told from his point of view as a child, his stories warm the heart as well as break it. The stories in this book with make you appreciate the little things we so often take for granted as children and even later as adults. The burdens that migrant children shoulder are immense as they try to balance work with home life, dedication to family with desire for an education. As we journey with the writer as he and his family move from migrant camp to migrant camp following work, we witness his compassion (saving minnows from quickly drying mud puddles), his sense of responsibility (picking cotton or harvesting grapes and strawberries with his family instead of attending school), his disappointment (looking forward to leaning to play the trombone or share a penny collection with a friend), and his joy (standing up to bullies) as he navigates a childhood in which his only wish for Christmas one year was for his very own ball. The strength and resilience of migrant families, and especially the children, in the face of prejudice, hardship, and living conditions most of us cannot even imagine is heartbreakingly astounding.

[lindseyarmah · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The circuit is an autobiography of an immigrant child from Mexico. He along with his four siblings and parents travel to America in hopes of a better future. Throughout the author's childhood, his family is seen dealing with many hardships, relocating several times, and working on fields. The reader sees Fransisco mature as he continues going to school while learning English and working hard along the way. This is a good book for teachers to gain a new/honest perspective on how their classroom and teaching methods can affect students who are multi-lingual learners. We learn that Fransisco is very outgoing and eager to learn, but gets frustrated by the language barrier and unhelpful teachers. To his teachers, he was probably labeled as an underacheiver, but we know that he is very smart and being in a different environment from home while dealing with difficulties at home makes school intimidating and challenging.

[bookconcierge · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

4.5****

This autobiographical novel is the sequel to Jimenez’s striking first work, chronicling his family’s life as migrant workers in late 1940s California. The novel picks up where The Circuit left off and focuses on Frankie’s junior high and high school years. A bright child, he worked to help support his family and worked doubly hard at his studies with the dream of becoming a teacher.

It is a story about perseverance and determination, about the cruel realities of poverty in this land of plenty, about the value of a good education, and about opportunity extended by those who recognized something special in a child.

Jimenez doesn’t call these books memoirs, though they rely heavily on his own experiences. He must rely on sketchy memories of his youth, and obviously had to create dialogue that, while true to the essence of what was occurring in the story cannot possibly be completely accurate; and so he calls his works fiction. The novels are written so that they are accessible for the middle-school student, but have sufficient depth to be enjoyed by adults.

[kassruiz · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This book tells the tale of Fransico an immigrant trying to find his way in a world unfamiliar to what he's used to.

[cdavie3 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I enjoyed the story, "The Circuit" for a few reasons. For starters, I enjoyed the diction through out the story. The Circuit is riddled with Spanish language throughout the entirety of the book. When Panchito describes some of his family members he uses Spanish language like, madre and padre which provides a sense of the Spanish speaking culture. In addition, the plot of the story is very eye opening and relevant to the lives of several people in this country. Francisco describes the life of Panchito and his family after they migrated to the U.S. and what it was like living in the camp. I find this story to be of a high level of importance because it sheds the light on how fortunate we are to live in the U.S. while understanding what others have to do in order to live a life style that is somewhat similar.

[fmccas1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The circuit gave a unique look into how life is when people immigrate to new countries. It tells of how they got into the country and the hardships they faced when they arrived here. It also showed how hard it was to be a EL student in the United States. Teachers were not teaching the way that they needed to for those students. This left Panchito lost in the classroom. It also showed how difficult it can be to make it in a new country. Panchito's family did not have a lot of money and did also not have healthcare. The book made me respect the struggle of making it in America. The perseverance shown by this family is inspiring. It tells its readers to never give up even if times are hard.

[whisper1_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This sequel to the author's original book The Circuit outlines the true life story of Jimenez and his immigrant family. At the age of 14, just when things were looking better, his family was caught by immigration authorities and sent back to Mexico. Through sheer tenacity, they passed required tests and were allowed back into the states. Continuing to live in grinding, never ending, gritty poverty, the family worked together to find a way to survive.Very intelligent, bright, and determined, Francisco excelled at school. Through his hard work and dedication, he graduated from high school, and with the help of excellent teachers/mentors who cared, was able to apply and receive scholarship for college.He went on to receive both his masters degree and his Ph D from Columbia University. The book cover states he is the Fay Boyle Professor of Modern Language and Literature, and director of the ethnic studies program at Santa Clara University.I couldn't help but route for this young man! Never giving up, always determined, eyes of the prize, he is a shining example of success.

[audreylast · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

 The Circuit, was a book about a migrant family. I think I would have enjoyed this book more, if the chapters had a better transition. A chapter would end at one point in time, then all of the sudden in the next chapter they would be in a new place, and a new sibling had been born. This made me feel like I was missing something and needed to reread the last few pages. The entire book there is hope that the family will be able to make enough money and that the children can learn English and then be able to succeed in America. The family moves to find work and money, the children get sick, but recover. There seems to be endless hope, but the last chapter the family is caught and the story just ends. You do not know if the family is together, if they survive, nothing. I would have not like to have been seeing hope with this family if there was none all along. The big message in this book, is that family is the most important. The reason this family came to America was for better opportunity. They needed work and an education. Throughout the entire novel, the family stuck together to make each other’s lives better.

[ebecker13 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This multicultural non-fiction book is about a family who flees Mexico to find work in the United States. Their family crosses the border late one night and makes it to a labor camp. Throughout the book the family struggles to find work which forces them to move frequently. The children struggle to stay in school because they have to help their father work in the fields and they are constantly moving. The children struggle to learn English in school and are held back in first grade. They also struggle with making friends because of the frequent moves. Overall, poverty and learning English are the two most prominent struggles for the family in this book.

[bayleewestrick · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This autobiography is about Francisco Jimenez's immigration into the United States. It goes through all of his struggles of the American schooling system, finding work and constantly moving. He is in poverty and his family faces many challenges, such as sickness or housing. They are constantly hiding from the "migra", until one day, the "migra" show up at school and take Francisco away.

[lpierson14 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A highly engaging story a migrant family's journey traveling the circuit of work as seasonal harvesters. Clearly depicts the hardships both financial and emotional of this life style. It shows the strength of family bonds and the emotional and academic challenges faced by constantly moving and having little stability.The main character is very likable and readers may find themselves hoping for him to have good fortune. It is written in chapters that roughly follow this family's journey. They are glimpses into events the main character remembers. Chapters could be used in isolation for shorter units or for specific standards.There are many potential themes like loyalty, hard work, family, survival, and never giving up, as well as handling diversity.The text contains some Spanish words and phrases. They may provide challenging to lower readers, most can be figured by context.The book flows very well and could be a good read aloud. There are quality examples of figurative language and imagery. A high quality novel for grades 8 and up. ( )

[toconn2 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This book is about a young Mexican boy and his family who travel from Mexico to California as migrant workers looking for a better life. The family moves from farm to farm to find work every season for the family to be able to stay in the states. The boy, Francisco, travels from school to school and goes to work on the weekends with his father and brother as their mother stays home with their growing family. The family survives with hard work and love that keeps them together in the tough times.I enjoyed reading the stories Francisco tells in this book that help the reader picture the life a young Mexican migrant worker. Francisco talks about his hardships in such detail that the reader can imagine the exact scene inside their head. For example, in the fields, Francisco explained, “the angry, blistering sun did not let me. By ten o’clock my shirt was soaking wet.” I also enjoy the importance of love the book emphasizes. Francisco’s family is constantly moving and looking for work and what keeps them positive is knowing they still have the love and support from their family. For example, Francisco collects pennies, which may be the only thing he really owns and enjoys to look at. One day his sister takes the two most important pennies in his collection and buys some gumballs. Francisco becomes very angry but his mother helps him realize that his family is more important than his collection of pennies. It is inspiring to me how much this family doesn’t have but with love, everything seems ok.

[lisapier · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A highly engaging story a migrant family's journey traveling the circuit of work as seasonal harvesters. Clearly depicts the hardships both financial and emotional of this life style. It shows the strength of family bonds and the emotional and academic challenges faced by constantly moving and having little stability.The main character is very likable and readers may find themselves hoping for him to have good fortune. It is written in chapters that roughly follow this family's journey. They are glimpses into events the main character remembers. Chapters could be used in isolation for shorter units or for specific standards.There are many potential like loyalty, hard work, family, survival, and never giving up, as well as handling diversity.The text contains some Spanish words and phrases. They may provide challenging to lower readers, most can be figured by context.The book flows very well and could be a good read aloud. There are quality examples of figurative language and imagery. A high quality novel for grades 8 and up.

[amulve2 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I enjoyed reading the book “The Circuit” by Franciso Jimenez. One aspect I liked about this book was the writing. The writing was engaging and kept me interested in the book. The writing was also very well organized and flowed together nicely. “We called it Tent City. Everybody called it Tent City, although it was neither a city nor a town. It was a farm worker labor camp owned by Sheehey Strawberry Farms.” Another reason I liked this book was because of the characters. The characters in this story went through realistic situations, considering this really did happen to someone. One situation that happens in the book is the family’s youngest son gets very sick. The family waits to take him to the doctors and he almost ends up dying. The son has to stay in the hospital for a long time. The big idea of the book is to keep your family safe and protected.

[efried5 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

1.I enjoyed reading the chapter book, “The Circuit” by Francisco Jimenez for several reasons. The writing is engaging and incorporates the use of Spanish words, which provides readers with a more authentic representation of the language used by a Mexican immigrant family. The story is autobiographical and is written in first person from Francisco’s point of view as a child. The plot is organized in a manner that segments, by chapter, the events that took place in Francisco’s childhood after immigrating to the United Stated. This segmented style is appropriate to the content provided within the story, as Francisco and his family are constantly moving and searching for work each passing season. This book pushes readers to think about tough issues surrounding the financial and cultural hardships faced by illegal immigrant families when coming to the United States. Because this book is written from Francisco’s point of view as a child, it is easier for younger readers to make connections from their lives to Francisco’s. In the U.S., it is not common to find books written for younger readers that portray the perspective of illegal Mexican immigrant children. It is for this reason that I would choose to have this book in my classroom, as it would bring a unique cultural perspective to my students. The main message of this story is to demonstrate the challenges faced by illegal Mexican immigrant children and families, as they enter in to American society.

[torilynae · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

 I really liked this book. I loved the writing it was descriptive and emotional and I enjoyed the theme which is belonging. The writer did an excellent job of making you feel like you were in Francisco’s shoes and seeing the world through his eyes. “My father shouted at all of us to stop. Seeing a stream of blood dribble from El Perico’s silent beak, I felt as though someone had ripped my heart out.” The author Francisco Jimenez did a remarkable job making me see the world through Francisco’s eyes by using specific words for great imagery like “silent beak”, “blood dribbled.” The whole time you are hoping that Francisco and his family finally find a home where they can be happy. The theme of belonging was great to read about. I haven’t read many books with this type of theme and it had a tremendous emotional toll on me. The whole time I am rooting for Francisco’s family and then that teacher calls the immigration police on him! This is a book that doesn’t have a happy ending and I was thinking about this book for a few weeks after I read it. The big idea in this book is belonging.

[yyoon4 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I liked the chapter book “The Circuit.” The main purpose of this book is to share the perspective and story of endurance of a migrant child and his family. I appreciated this book for various reasons. First, I liked how “The Circuit” pushes readers to think about tough issues. The circumstances that Francisco goes through are not ordinary, so it helps readers step outside of themselves and think of others. I believe that this book helps broaden perspectives on immigration and migrants. I know that there are several people in America and across the world who feel and think negatively of immigrants. As this book shares the heartbreaking stories of a young child, I think readers would sympathize and understand immigrants more. This story also helps the audience realize that Francisco is no different than us in some of the struggles he faces. Problems such as security, loneliness, and fear. The first person point of view of “The Circuit” also engages readers to feel connected to the main character. Instead of feeling like they are reading an autobiography, the author does a good job in making it feel like he is telling a series of stories. I also appreciated the descriptive language of the author. For example, “As soon as they saw my swollen upper lip and the scratches on my left cheek, they knew what the note said.” The language of the author helps build images in readers heads. This book is full of honest, real-life details of poverty and hardships.

[vharsh1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The chapter book "The Circuit" was an interesting read. The first aspect of why I enjoyed this book was the language choice. This book intertwined Spanish words along with English words. This could be helpful to students who could be English language learners who come from a Spanish speaking family. Having Spanish in the chapter book could provide comfort to the reader and encourage them to participate more in classroom discussion. The Spanish vocabulary could also be helpful to readers who do not speak Spanish in the way that they could learn words while they were reading. The second aspect of why I enjoyed this book was that it was written in the first person point of view. The story was told through the eyes of the main character, Francisco. This book was based on real life events and experiences from the author’s point of view. This book pushes readers to apply this knowledge to real life situations and what other families could have experienced. The main idea of this book is to share migrant experiences to inform readers about hardships that people face.

[jessicaedelman · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I enjoyed this book for it's message and the point of view the author employed. The main idea of this book was to encourage readers to explore a culture different than their own. Similar to many other readers, I previously contained very little knowledge about the lives of migrant workers. I knew that in my hometown migrant workers worked at the farms harvesting my beloved Jersey tomatoes and blueberries. After reading this book I gained a greater insight into the difficult challenges that migrant workers face such as child labor, unfair compensation, constant fear of immigration officials, and a immense lack of stability. For example, when one of the children in the book grew very sick the parents refused to take him to the hospital or doctors for treatment until he was close to death for fear of drawing unwanted attention from immigration officials. The parents were faced with the grave decision of saving their child's life or taking a chance of getting deported.The book was told from the first person point of view of Francisco, the main character. Francisco’s point of view allowed the readers to form a deeper connection with his character. I felt a greater sense of understanding of Francisco’s experiences and emotions. For example, at the end of the book Francisco and his family move back to Santa Maria, his favorite town they have ever lived in. He excitedly describes how his heart started pounded as they were driving towards the town, his eagerness to enroll in school again, and how he plans to live in Santa Maria forever. A few days later, the moment Francisco sees the immigration officer at his school I could almost feel his dreams and aspirations going away. I felt as if some one had punched me in the stomach.

[cduke3 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

In my opinion, this is wonderful book for children. The story is written in a first person point a view, which can make it more relatable especially for children. When I was reading, I was more engaged in the story than I would have been had it been written from another perspective. Another reason that I really enjoyed this book was the actual writing. The book integrates Spanish words within the story. For example, Jimenez writes, “…we all called him ‘Torito,’ little bull, because he weighed ten pounds at birth.” In a classroom this can expose children to another language if they have not yet been, as well as validate those students who do speak Spanish. Finally, I liked that it challenges its readers to think about tough issues and broaden their perspectives. Unless someone has immigrated to the United States, the idea of immigration does not really cross the minds of children. This book is a great tool to expose young readers to what can happen, and is happening, to children their age.

[juliekessler1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I absolutely loved this book and I had no idea I would. This was a book I was assigned for homework and was forced to read but I am glad I did. "The Circuit" portrays a life of someone that goes through many hardships from moving place to place and never settling down or ever being financially secure. This book shows diversity and how someone else has lived their life. The language in the book is good for grades four and five and above, however there are a few Spanish words that may be difficult for students to read and understand. There is a lot of text per page but the font is a little bigger than an ordinary book so it is easier to read. The book does start off a little slow with some background knowledge, but once you get through the first chapter it becomes an easy read as well as becomes very interesting. It is important for students to learn about different cultures and struggles so they can become comfortable to those that are different than themselves. There are no illustrations but the author provides such detail that the reader can visualize what is going on at every moment. The plot and the way "The Circuit' was written was why I loved it to so much.

[sstelz2 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

In my opinion, the chapter book, “The Circuit” is a captivating book for older children to read. This book teaches readers about an immigrant boy and his family’s struggle to have the basic necessities of life. The plot is suspenseful, the language is descriptive, and the overall message is extremely powerful. The language throughout the story is very descriptive. For example, the book goes into detail about Francisco’s problems in school and at home. Francisco’s family moves from job to job in the U.S. to pick cotton and to do other agricultural work. The boy faces many difficulties as he tries to make friends and understand classroom discussions. When things seem to be getting better, their house burns down and the father becomes unable to work. The young boy’s brother gets a job, and Francisco works hard to memorize the introductory lines of the Declaration of Independence for class. Just when things seem to be getting better again, Border Patrol shows up in Francisco’s classroom and takes him and his brother back to Mexico. This story gets readers to broaden their perspectives about illegal immigrants. The overall message is very deep. It teaches readers that every family is similar because every family just wants a good life. The big idea is to show students that some children barely have the basic necessities for living, but they keep trying to make a better life for themselves and their families.

[cschne11 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I had mixed feelings about this book after reading it. I think that the book would be a good book for children to read because of the multicultural significance, but I thought that some aspects of the story would bore students. The book intertwines Spanish language vocabulary into the text on almost every page. This would not only teach students some Spanish vocabulary if they don’t speak Spanish, but it will make those who do feel more included and engaged in the story. In addition to Spanish vocabulary, the book teaches readers about Mexican culture through descriptions of the family. Just a few of the cultural values portrayed are hard work, religion, family, and food. It is important for children to broaden their perspectives and learn about other cultures. However, I think this book might be too repetitive to capture students’ interests. In the book, the family is constantly on the move to follow the crops- cotton, strawberries, grapes, carrots- and they have the same struggles in every place they stop. The children want to go to school, the parents are hard at work trying to make money to feed the family, and they never have a comfortable place to call home. Although this is reality, a student might get bored with the repetition and therefore miss the main idea of the story. The big idea of the book is that in times of despair, faith, hope, love, and hard work will get you through.

[kimkolb · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

In my opinion, this is a good book. I feel this way mainly because of the characters, as well as how it pushes me to think about the issue of child labor. Throughout the story, I was able to learn more and more about Francisco and his struggle to find happiness. I empathized with him when he talked about the frustration his family felt with money, and felt sorrow for him when he had to watch Gabriel fight for his rights. Francisco becomes alive through the text, and is very believable. Prior to reading this story, I had not been exposed to families that work in labor camps. I was familiar with what they were, but did not know entire families worked in them, children as well. The struggle and frustration Francisco feels about working all the time, got me to thinking about the many families who do back breaking labor every day for survival. It opened my eyes to an occupation I was very naïve to. The message of this story is have faith in what you do. Gabriel stood up for his human rights, because he felt that was the right thing to do, while Francisco stood up against his friends, for the sake of his brothers happiness.

[gaiagonzales · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I found this book to be a very interesting and intriguing read. This story centers on a young boy named Francisco and the struggles that he and his family face while trying to make a new life for themselves in the United States. Throughout the book, I liked how it spanned over a long period of time and focused on the important parts that were significant to Francisco. As the reader, it was nice to see how the characters grew and became more aware and responsible as time went on. For example, Francisco’s brother, Roberto, had accepted a janitorial job at his school to help his family’s financial situation since his father is unable to work. Another reason why I liked this book is because of the lessons that were taught as the story went on. For example, Francisco learned how to deal with losing something special to him such as his blue notepad and his two special pennies. He realized that the physical things do not matter as long as he remembers it and why it is so special. I found that the big idea of this book is to chronicle the lives of an immigrant family while struggling to make it in the U.S.

[chawki6 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Overall, I think “The Circuit” is a great book. I liked how the book was told from Francisco’s point of view. It was very interesting to see the life of a migrant child, through the child’s eyes. The point of view makes the story more engaging. Francisco does a great job of expressing his emotions throughout the book. There are parts in the book when you can really feel what Francisco is going through. When Francisco was explaining how he felt when his sister stole his pennies, it almost made me cry with him. “When my sister nodded again, my heart dropped to my stomach. I felt my face on fire. Everything blurred. I stormed out of the house, slammed the door behind me, sat on the front steps, and cried.” I could feel how upset he was, the only thing that belonged to him was now gone. I also really enjoyed the plot of the story. I was constantly on edge wondering what would happen next. I worried about the family finding shelter, food, or if they would get deported. The book really pushes the reader to think about what some immigrants go through to survive in this country. This book really opened my eyes to just how bad some people have it. I couldn't imagine living life the way they do, yet they manage to push through. The big idea of this story is that with hope and family you can survive anything.

[adamlarson · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I found The Circuit to be a very unique book, which I appreciated in many ways. This book follows the story of a young boy named Francisco. Francisco's family are migrant workers in the US, and their native/preferred language is Spanish. As migrant workers, Francisco's family has very little stability and no permanent home. The chapters in the book each tell about a different time/event/place in Francisco's life, which I found to be an interesting and engaging way to tell Francisco's story. Some chapter books seem to have slower, transitional parts, but by writing the chapters this way, the author managed to skip to only the more important parts.I thought this book was very well written, and it was entertaining to read, but I did not like the ending at all. Just as things seemed like they were finally starting to work out for the Francisco, the character the author almost forces the readers to love by the end of the book, all his dreams, and the tiny bit of stability he has are torn away when immigration shows up at his school to drag him and his brother back to Mexico, crushing their aspirations and their "American Dream" under the boot of the American Government.Overall, I enjoyed reading this book, but after I had finished I was left feeling cheated. The book is based off of true events from the writers life, so I suppose he had little choice with the events that happened at the end, but the book ends with Francisco and his brother in a border patrol car being hauled to Mexico, seeming defeated, and having all of the things they worked so hard for simply left behind.There are a couple messages that I got from reading this book, and many of them were strong and repeated throughout. The strongest of these was the value of family and hard work; Francisco's family works tirelessly and supports one another immensely, and through this, they achieve some of their goals. However, I feel the message about hard work is almost entirely undone by the ending, which seems to give the message "Sometimes it doesn't matter how hard you try, or even if you do everything right. Sometimes life isn't fair, and you might have no influence on whether or not things work out the way you want them."

[sarahbassett-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

In my opinion, The Circuit, by Francisco Jimenez, was a great autobiographical novel based on his very own life experiences as a migrant child. The writing, characters, and how the book pushes readers to think about tough issues, all allow this book to send a clear, vivid message of strength, courage, and perseverance. The writing within the story is extremely engaging. I felt as though the novel was engaging because I could vividly see what Francisco, the main character, was doing, and how the scenery looked just by the language use; thus, this made the novel intriguing to read. I did not want to put the book down because I wanted to know if Francisco and his migrating family finally found work so they could permanently reside without having to move any more. Francisco’s character is definitely believable and well represented throughout the novel. His perseverance as a young boy, in my opinion, allows readers to become aware of this emotions. An example from the book that supports my opinion is in chapter seven. In this chapter, Francisco forms a relationship with a parrot; the parrot is like his safe haven. The father at this point in the story is becoming very angry because there is no work and is struggling to support his family. One evening the parrot had a temper tantrum, so, the father took a broom and killed the parrot. Francisco ran off crying and very upset at his father; yet, he said, “…I prayed for my father.” He is forgiving his father because deep down he knows the reasons for his actions. Furthermore, by the end of the novel Francisco is learning to read English. The excitement within him was thrilling to read. I especially loved when he said, “…I was determined to memorize to lines from the Declaration of Independence and recite them perfectly, without forgetting a single word…I looked up in the dictionary the words I did not know… I added them to the list of English words I kept in my new, black, pocket note pad. Finally, because this book is based on actual events from Francisco’s life, readers are pushed to think about the tough issues migrant families face here in America. Additionally, the readers can broaden their perspectives on children who are products of migrant families. Such a great read!!!!

[eobend1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I had mixed feelings about this book after reading it. I liked the book because the characters were believable. All characters presented in this book were very realistic and the stories are relatable to many immigrant children. The narrator’s perspective throughout the book truly portrayed how difficult life can be for immigrant children, and how this affects their experience in school as well as their outlook on school. I disliked the plot and writing of this book because each chapter was a different story, despite some stories kind of going along with the previous story. The jumping around and skipping parts in the narrator’s life throughout the story I imagine would be very confusing for elementary students. But despite this, the story represented in “The Circuit” is excellent and it is a great multicultural book to have in the classroom. The big message in this story that I took away as a future educator is for teachers to always deeply consider their students’ backgrounds when planning instruction and teaching them. A student’s home life is a great factor in how they behave and view school.