Francisco Jimenez

This slim volume packs an extraordinary emotional punch. The stories Jimenez relates are autobiographical, depicting the life he and his family led as migrant workers in 1940s California. Told from the perspective of the second son in a strong, loving family, the stories carry the reader through about eight years of working “the circuit.”

What I particularly like about the book is that while Jimenez doesn’t sugarcoat the difficulties of this life, he doesn’t dwell on the negatives, show more either. Yes, we suffer with the family when they cannot afford medical care for a seriously ill child, the father is injured on the job, or people take advantage of their circumstances. But what is more memorable to me is the enjoyment in reading about the pleasure of exploring a new setting, of inventing games to play, of laughing with your friends or family, of learning new skills, of achieving goals. I think it is an accurate depiction of how children see the world and their place in it. Jimenez was wise to choose this voice for his stories. I could not help but think of my father, or of cousins who “picked cherries every summer.” I cried, I laughed; I loved this family.

The ending is a kick to the stomach and I sat stunned for a few moments … looking at the last two blank pages and the back cover in disbelief that the book had ended. I know there is a sequel and I will definitely read it. show less

The Circuit is a fierce and brutally honest historical fiction chapter book, by Francisco Jimenez, that intertwines the adventures of a migrant family coming from Mexico. After illegally crossing the America/Mexico border, the family escapes poverty and a poor life in Mexico in hopes to find to find a better life in California. Told in the perspective of a young boy, the story portrays the brutal realities included in the immigration camps and farms. Mostly revolving around the young boys show more experiences in school and learning English, the mood of the story is slightly depressing and melancholy. Once the boy and his family finally begin to adapt to their life working on a farm and going to American schools, they are suddenly deported. While the boy is reviewing his notes for an assignment in class, a man from the border patrol shows up and calls him by name. He and his brother are both picked up from school and taken back to Mexico with their family.
The theme of this book could be the concept of immigration or moving from home to home. The title of the book is appropriate because the family is constantly moving homes, sort of like a circuit. The best part of this book is the ending. While my heart absolutely dropped when I read, “This is him,” I felt the total rush of reality, as if I were in the narrators place, being deported in front of all my classmates and teacher at school. As depressing as this book is, it is extremely realistic and explores the immigrants’ lives in our nations history through the eyes of a helpless child. show less

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 show more 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. show less

A memoir of life as an undocumented child of Mexican migrants picking crops in California in the middle of the 20th century. Very well written, captures the childhood experience of normalcy and excitement and the exhaustion that comes with maturation, crushing poverty, love, and lack of options. I found myself drawn to the implicit indictment of lack of birth control (4 more siblings in just a handful of years, starting from a place of soul-crushing poverty!), an educational system that left show more the author to coast without any language support and then demanded he repeat the experience the next year, and how chances to get ahead flee with each new slap of poverty and bad luck.

Powerful in its transference of the beloved middle school struggle story to the recent present and to a person's lived experience -- this short book seems to be well known in the 10-14 age group, and for cause. show less