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The Circuit: Stories from the Life of a Migrant Child | 
 enlarge | Author: Francisco Jimenez
Publisher: University of New Mexico Press
Category: Book
List Price: $19.95
Buy Used: $3.88
You Save: $16.07 (81%)
New (40) Used (34) Collectible (3) from $3.88
Rating:  19 reviews
Sales Rank: 74910
Media: Paperback
Edition: 1st
Reading Level: Young Adult
Pages: 134
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.3
Dimensions (in): 6.8 x 4.6 x 0.4
ISBN: 0826317979
Dewey Decimal Number: 813.54
EAN: 9780826317971
ASIN: 0826317979
Publication Date: October 1, 1997
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Shipping: Expedited shipping available
Condition: ***PLEASE NOTE*** Graded to Amazon Guidelines. Scuffed edges. Old price sticker on cover. clean text tight binding shelf wear on cover .
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Product 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 life in the United States for many people every day. And so begins this collection of twelve autobiographical stories by Santa Clara University professor Francisco Jim?nez, who at the age of four illegally crossed the border with his family in 1947. "The Circuit," the story of young Panchito and his trumpet, is one of the most widely anthologized stories in Chicano literature. At long last, Jim?nez offers more about the wise, sensitive little boy who has grown into a role model for subsequent generations of immigrants. These independent but intertwined stories follow the family through their circuit, from picking cotton and strawberries to topping carrots--and back agai--over a number of years. As it moves from one labor camp to the next, the little family of four grows into ten. Impermanence and poverty define their lives. But with faith, hope, and back-breaking work, the family endures. "A jewel of a book"--Rolando Hinojosa-Smith "These stories are so realistic they choke the heart."--Rudolfo Anaya
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| Customer Reviews: Read 14 more reviews...
 A captivating view of migrant life from a child's eyes August 27, 1999
39 out of 39 found this review helpful
This is a book that is suitable for all ages. Jimenez manages to describe his childhood in a manner that captivates the reader. I could not put the book down once I began reading. Do not think that just because these events happened long ago,that migrant families do not experience some of the same horrors today, for they do. I teach ESL to adult migrant workers and after reading this book I have an even greater respect for these hard working individuals. The farms and ranches of California could not exist as they do today without migrants who do the back breaking work in the fields. Most evenings at class my students (both men and women) come in directly from the fields, their eyes bloodshot, their hands rough and calloused, their backs bowed over. But they come eager to learn English so they can get a better job, or so they can help their children have a better education. An admirable people and Jimenez's book provides insight into their difficult working and living conditions.
A Touching Eye-Opener July 21, 1999
7 out of 7 found this review helpful
I bought The Circuit because I am working with the children of Mexican migrant families this summer. As I read, I imagined the kids in my class experiencing the difficulties described by Jimenez, especially the poor living conditions. Yet the stories are not written as complaints. The hopeful spirit of the struggling family members really comes through, and moved me to tears more than once. Reading The Circuit has helped me to better understand and appreciate my young migrant friends. I'm passing my copy around so that my friends and family can see why I care about those kids so much!
A must read for all ages August 25, 1998
7 out of 8 found this review helpful
Francisco Jimenez brilliantly captures the voice of the young Panchito and the struggles and triumphs of his migrant family. The issue of Mexican immigration has become become hotly bebated, causing us to sometimes lose sight of the human vioce of those about which we so passionately talk. Jimenez's stories transform our understanding of Mexican sojourners, moving us from an abstract understanding of Mexican immigrantion to a more humane frame of mind. In essence, these twelve short-stories enable us to bear witness so that we may make a compassionate connection with those people who are represented by Jimenez's stories. What is more, the style with which Jimenez writes makes this book enjoyable for all ages. The Circuit should propel Jimenez into an arena with the great Chicano authors of our time.
A must-read August 12, 1999
6 out of 6 found this review helpful
A fast read, but also a must-read for all ... especially teachers in the Southwestern part of the U.S. where we encounter so many migrant families. It really opens your eyes and helps you see a little piece of what people go through.
This book is a "must read." December 12, 1997
6 out of 6 found this review helpful
The short stories in this collection bear
compelling witness to the strength and
vitality of the human spirit under the most
inhumane circumstances. This inspiring
tribute to the humanity of poor migrant
workers tells the right story at the right
time in this country, when immigrants,
documented or not, are shamelessly
scapegoated by politicians of every stripe. The powerful impact of these deceptively
simple stories may be credited to their
autobiographical character, the purity of
the prose, and the strength of the images. In reading this book you will experience the
untapped wealth of humanity that works our
fields, sews our clothes, waits our tables.
You will also be completely engaged by twelve
wonderful stories. For me, Dr. Jimenez' "Christmas Gift" tops
O. Henry's "Gift of the Magi" for the best
Christmas story ever -- and it's the perfect
size for a stocking stuffer! Steve Privett,S.J.[SPrivett@mailer.scu.edu] Santa Clara, California
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