“Lifting the story up from the mundane, Jiménez deftly portrays the strong bonds of love that hold this family together. An afterword recorded by the author gives even more background on his family. Vargas’s narration offers an authentic and strong Mexican voice. Highly recommended for all collections and bookstores.” Publishers Weekly
Description
After dark in a Mexican border town, a father holds open a hole in a wire fence as his wife and two small boys crawl through. So begins this collection of twelve autobiographical stories by Professor Francisco Jimenez, who at the age of four illegally crossed the border with his family in 1947. The Circuit is the story of a young, wise and sensitive boy, Panchito and his trumpet. These independent but intertwined stories follow the family through their circuit, from picking cotton and strawberries to topping carrots—and back again—over a number of years. The little family of four grows into ten and impermanence and poverty define their lives. But with faith, hope, and back-breaking work, the family endures. Beautifully and authentically rendered by actor and playwright Adrian Vargas, these stories tell of the almost unendurable journey most migrant campesinos undertake to find the American Dream. The recording concludes with an afterword recorded by the author. Recommended for Grades 5 and up.
Praise
“Lifting the story up from the mundane, Jiménez deftly portrays the strong bonds of love that hold this family together. An afterword recorded by the author gives even more background on his family. Vargas’s narration offers an authentic and strong Mexican voice. Highly recommended for all collections and bookstores.” Publishers Weekly
“Jimenez and Vargas both maintain a leisurely pace appropriate to storytelling that can reach a wide audience, giving the images constructed from words time to bloom in the audience's mind before wrapping each tale in a tight, often surprising, close. Highly recommended for both pleasure listening and for classroom use and discussion.” School Library Journal
Details
| Language | Spanish |
|---|---|
| Release Day | Feb 7, 2001 |
| Release Date | February 8, 2001 |
| Release Date Machine | 981590400 |
| Imprint | Blackstone Publishing |
| Provider | Blackstone Publishing |
| Categories | Children's Books, Growing Up & Facts of Life, Biographies, Geography & Cultures, Education & Learning, Children/YA, Children 8-12, Fiction - All, Fiction - Child |
Author Bio
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 PhD from Columbia University and is now chairman of the Modern Languages and Literature Department at Santa Clara University. He is the award-winning author of The Circuit, Breaking Through, La Mariposa, and others. He lives in Santa Clara, California, with his family.
Narrator Bio
Overview
After dark in a Mexican border town, a father holds open a hole in a wire fence as his wife and two small boys crawl through. So begins this collection of twelve autobiographical stories by Professor Francisco Jimenez, who at the age of four illegally crossed the border with his family in 1947. The Circuit is the story of a young, wise and sensitive boy, Panchito and his trumpet. These independent but intertwined stories follow the family through their circuit, from picking cotton and strawberries to topping carrots—and back again—over a number of years. The little family of four grows into ten and impermanence and poverty define their lives. But with faith, hope, and back-breaking work, the family endures. Beautifully and authentically rendered by actor and playwright Adrian Vargas, these stories tell of the almost unendurable journey most migrant campesinos undertake to find the American Dream. The recording concludes with an afterword recorded by the author. Recommended for Grades 5 and up.
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