The Circuit

The Circuit

By Francisco Jiménez

3 ratings 14 reviews 7 followers
Interest LevelReading LevelReading A-ZATOSWord Count
Grades 4 - 8Grades 10 - 9Z5.327007
"'La frontera'...I heard it for the first time back in the late 1940s when Papa and Mama told me and Roberto, my older brother, that someday we would take a long trip north, cross la frontera, enter California, and leave our poverty behind." So begins this honest and powerful account of a family's journey to the fields of California -- to a life of constant moving, from strawberry fields to cotton fields, from tent cities to one-room shacks, from picking grapes to topping carrots and thinning lettuce. Seen through the eyes of a boy who longs for an education and the right to call one palce home, this is a story of survival, faith, and hope. It is a journey that will open readers' hearts and minds.
Publisher: HMH Books for Young Readers
ISBN-13: 9780395979020
ISBN-10: 0395979021
Published on 10/25/1999
Binding: Hardcover
Number of pages: 128

Book Reviews (14)

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juhe13 juhe13

The Circuit, is a really awesome and sad book to me. This is one of my favorite books of all time. I like how it gets sad and then happy. I didn’t like when Francisco made new friends then his family always moved and he had trouble making more new friends. It almost made me cry when his little baby brother almost died. I recommend that you read the book.

taytay24 taytay24

I liked reading the book, The Circuit, because they moved a lot. He went to many different schools. Francisco didn’t know the language and was in trouble for that reason, so it was hard hearing how the teacher would treat him. I didn’t especially like the book The Circuit because I don’t like historical books. However, I do recommend you read the book.

The Circuit By Francisco Jimenez is a charming tale. The book consists of descriptions for what it would be like to work at migrant camps. The book is full of hard times and times of joy. The Circuit is a very good book and hard to put down.

PantherTeacher PantherTeacher

The Circuit by Francisco Jimenez is one of the most inspiring books that I have ever read about the life of an immigrant family and their struggle to make a better life for themselves. The story begins when the family catches a train headed for La Frontera. They cross the border in California to find work and a better life. When they arrive they realize that things in the U.S. aren’t as easy as they’d imagined. Eventually the family finds work and Panchito, the main character, is allowed to go to school for the first time. At school Panchito is challenged because he is unable to speak English. This makes it difficult for him to understand his teacher and classmates. Things get better for him when he begins to make a few friends. One of my favorite quotes from the Circuit is when the family is praying for their littlest member to survive a terrible sickness and Mama says, “The doctor said it would take a miracle for him to live. I didn’t want to believe him, but he was right. It took a miracle.” I highly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in stories about adventure and adversity. The Jimenez family find that they can make it through some of the most difficult times if they stick together and love one another. I give this book 5 out of 5 stars!! What makes it even better is that it is the first book in a wonderful trilogy.