Today's Featured Book:
The Circuit
by Francisco Jiménez
Genre: Graphic Novel; Memoir; Children's Book
Published: 2024
Page Count: 233 pages
Summary:
An honest and evocative account of a family’s journey from Mexico to the fields of California—and to a life of backbreaking work and constant household moves—as seen through the eyes of a boy who longs for education and the right to call one place home.
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The Circuit is a graphic novel made from a book of short stories about the life of the author, Francisco Jiménez. When he was a boy, his parents decided to come to the United States for a better life. The family worked as day laborers on farms in California, moving from cotton fields to strawberry fields to fields of grapes, moving from tents to shacks to tenant houses, moving from school to school.
I've wanted to read this book for years, and what better time than now to learn about the life of an immigrant?
Now that I have read the graphic novel of this memoir, I plan to go ahead and read the author's original book and the sequels.
Jennifer of Introverted Jen is sponsoring the 2026 Immigration Reading Challenge. Jennifer notes, 'I firmly believe that a little empathy and understanding can help us put aside our differences, stop seeing people as “other” or “less than,” and find common ground and ways to live together peacefully.' You can find a list of books you might consider reading for the challenge here, and you can join in the challenge yourself here.
#2026immigrationreading
The purpose of THE BOOK BLOGGER HOP is to give bloggers a chance to follow other blogs, learn about new books, and befriend other bloggers. THE BOOK BLOGGER HOP is hosted by Ramblings of a Coffee Addicted Writer.
Do you struggle to start a new read after finishing a truly amazing one? (submitted by Elizabeth @ Silver's Reviews)
Yes! Do you?
The illustrations are great. I'll be interested in hearing how the book stacks up with the graphic novel.
ReplyDeleteI do sometimes struggle to get involved in a new book after reading one that really 'spoke' to me. Often I end up sampling several and then sometimes I just have to take a minute or do a reread. Isn't that funny? Ha!
ReplyDeleteNice, and I love the simple illustrations.
ReplyDeleteMy Friday post: https://wordsandpeace.com/2026/01/30/friday-book-hooks-5/
Thank you for introducing many of us to the "2026 Immigration Reading Challenge." I'm going to head over to Introverted Jen and check it out.
ReplyDeleteIt’s almost a century since Steinbeck wrote about the unfortunate farm workers in the California fields. Ever since, the conditions. have been exploitative as one group of workers after another desperately do these jobs that are so essential to our country. And one book after another has documented the situation. Let’s face it: we like cheap food and so we basically turn our backs.
ReplyDeleteThanks of pointing out the Immigration Reading Challenge. I will look into it. I had the original version of the Circuit in my library but never read it. Now I think I should.
ReplyDeleteI really love the illustrations!
ReplyDeleteI've read a few books about immigrants, but I think it would be interesting/fun to look at some children's books at the library and see what they have to offer. Such a sad time for those who came to our country with hopes of living a happy, safe life.
ReplyDeleteThose illustrations are beautiful.
ReplyDeleteI like those graphics! And that's an interesting story. I am a legal immigrant and oh the long wait, the complex process, and the fees we had to pay. Ugh.
ReplyDeleteIt looks like an important read.
ReplyDeleteGreat book for the immigration challenge! I read this with students many years ago and didn't realize there is a graphic version; a wonderful addition!
ReplyDelete