Pura Belpre Honor Book

Breaking Through

By: Francisco Jimenez

This book is a Pura Belpre Honor Book. This award is jointly sponsered by the ALSC (Association for Library Service to Children) and part of the ALA (American Library Association) as well as the REFORMA (National Association to Promote Library and information Services to Latinos and the Spanish-Speaking). This award was founded in 1996 and its primary aim is to recognize Latino/a writers and illustrators whose work best portrays affirms, and celebrates the Latino cultural experience in an outstanding work of literature of children and youth.

This book is about a family of illegal immigrants whose father dug them into America when Fransico was only 4. At the young age of 6, Fransico is working in the fields of California trying to help his family raise enough money to move around in search for more work. His main goal is not to get sent back to Mexico because he was to get a good eduation in America. His nightmare came true when the immigration officers walked into his school and took him out. His family had to go back to Mexico until they could get what they needed to return to the US legally. This book tells about the things Fransico had to go through to get back to the US and finally graduate from High School in California. This book really made the reader understand and almost feel the hardships that the immigrant family went through and also helped you understand why they chose to go through them. This would be a great book to read in a middle or lower high school setting. Most of the content and discussions would be too mature a topic for elementary students.