Viola Canales

Sofia is someone I wish I had known in my own coming of age days. She is joyful, kind, and true to herself. Even at such a young age she knows an opportunity when she sees it and isn't afraid to be ambitious enough to reach for it. Growing up in a barrio in Texas, Sofia cherishes her family traditions but wants to spread her wings. When she earns the opportunity to go away to a reputable boarding school she jumps at the chance. There she learns more about her culture by being without it. show more This is a heartwarming story about embracing differences and the power of family. show less

Told in the first person this Bildungsroman starts with childlike impressions of home and family. Sofia’s impressions and narration matures as she grows into the milieu of her Mexican-American family and barrio in McAllen, Texas. In Sofia’s Rio Grande Valley neighborhood, the expectation is for her to become one of the comadres, someone who is part of the group of friends and relatives who help others members achieve their desires. You do not do this in isolation. She is expected to show more participate in helping others give birth to their goals, and in return they will help her hers.

These are character traits that are great aids to her when the scholarly Sofia wins a scholarship to a prestigious Episcopal prep school in far north Austin, Texas, two-hundred-eight-three miles, nine hours away from her home and friends by bus. And one of only three Tejanos among hundreds of upper class Anglo students.

It’s a marvelously inspiring work by Canales who lived the same experience. show less

I bought this for my 12-year-old niece, and I have a rule about reading books I've not read before I give them to her. It's amazing in every possible way. Somebody once told me that books win awards for a reason, and The Tequila Worm bolsters that theory quite beautifully. I simply had to have a copy for my own shelves, unapologetically. I don't have children. I just wanted it. For myself, a grown woman. It's that good.

The Tequila Worm is about an adolescent Mexican-American girl caught between her Mexican heritage and her American heritage, trying to find her place in both. Sofia is from a small, close-knit community in McAllen, Texas where she shares a close relationship with her family and cousin, Berta. One day at school, Sofia was referred to as a “taco head” by a fellow student. Sofia decides to retaliate against this student by becoming the better athlete and academic student. Sofia’s hard show more work and dedication earns her scholarship to a boarding school, which consists of predominantly upper class, white American students, in Austin, Texas, 300 miles away from her family and friends. Sofia’s time away from home helps her to realize and understand all of the traditions and values her mother and father had been trying to instill in her.

I thought this was an excellent book. The suggested reading level is grades 6-9. Be cautious of the religious content if considering this book as a class read. show less