Skip to main content

UNDER THE MESQUITE by Guadalupe Garcia McCall



copyright date: September 2011
primarily marketed for: young adults (12 and up)

I am a sucker for a novel told in verse.  I am a sucker for anything having to do with Mexican culture.  I am a sucker for a metaphor involving a tree.  I am a sucker for a novel that makes me feel.  So, needless to say, Under the Mesquite by Guadalupe Garcia McCall has found its way into my heart.

The protagonist, Lupita, is the oldest of 8 siblings!  She is used to caring for her brothers and sisters and almost has a friendship with her mother as opposed to a mother-daughter relationship.  But there are still some things her mother doesn’t think Lupita is ready to hear.  When Lupita hears her parents whispering and realizes they are keeping something from her, she demands to know the truth, and finds out that her mother has cancer. 

From that point forward, Lupita’s life will never be the same.  She does all she can to keep her family together while her mother fights a battle for her life. 

Lupita finds her own way of coping with all that is happening to her family—by writing in a journal beneath the mesquite tree behind her house. 

Her words tell the beautiful story of a young girl trying to become who she is in the midst of her mother’s illness, the needs of her 7 siblings, the Mexican and American cultures to which she belongs, and her own developing talents as a writer and actress.

This book begs to be read while resting beneath a tree.

Labels

Labels:

Comments

  1. Linda BJune 16, 2012 at 9:23 AM

    I have this, but still haven't opened it, Christy. It sounds so poignant & a difficult read. But also sounds beautiful. Thanks!

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

THE MISFITS by James Howe

copyright date: 2001 primarily marketed for: grades 4-8 In honor of No Name-Calling Week, the idea for which originated with this book, I thought I would post a review of The Misfits by James Howe.    This book has one of my favorite leads: "So here I am, not a half-hour old as a tie salesman and trying to look like I know what I am doing, which have got to be two of the biggest jokes of all time, when who should walk into Awkworth & Ames Department Store but Skeezie Tookis. " I think I like it because it is such an inviting introduction to Bobby and Skeezie, two of the four friends referred to in the book’s title.   Bobby, Skeezie, Addie, and Joe are seventh graders who decide to create their own political party to run in the student council election.   Their goal is simple: to put an end to name-calling.   Who doesn’t think that is a good idea? The wonderful things about this book aren’t limited to the positive messages about acceptance and k...
5 comments
Read more

THE FAULT IN OUR STARS by John Green

You knew it was coming.  How could I not share?  EVERYONE MUST READ JOHN GREEN’S LATEST WORK OF ART: THE FAULT IN OUR STARS .  Throughout my life (well, at least from 4 th grade, when I was introduced to Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl until now, the 7 th month of my 34 th year of noticing the universe) the name ‘Augustus’ immediately evoked an image of a chubby, stubborn, chocolate-loving boy, doted upon by his mother, with the last name of Gloop.  The name ‘Augustus’ made me giggle about this character’s gluttonous follies inside the chocolate factory. Until reading John Green’s beloved new book The Fault in Our Stars . From now on, the name ‘Augustus’ will forever evoke an entirely different image and an entirely different set of emotions.  A casually hot, lean, limping ‘Augustus Waters’ has forever replaced the ‘Augustus’ of the book I treasured as a child—an unlit cigarette held loosely between his lips.  A longing sigh ...
9 comments
Read more

PLAYGROUND by 50 Cent

I had seen this book all over the place since I attended the NCTE convention in November.  Every time I see it, I am drawn to the cover.  The cover claims that Playground is “The Mostly True Story of a Former Bully.”  However, I was hesitant to buy it because I had little faith that it was quality literature.  Sure, it might be appealing enough for some of you to pick it up and read, but was the story really going to be the kind of message I wanted my students to read?  Was it really based on 50 Cent’s experience?  Would it really send a message about the negative effects of bullying?  Then I came across Crazy Quilt Edi’s book review of the book.  She said after reading she wondered, “Did 50 Cent really write this on his own?”  That was all I needed to know.  Her question told me it must be better than I thought it would be.  And it was. Aside from the gratuitous use of mild swear words and some minor, but noticeable e...
5 comments
Read more