Bibliography:
Canales, V.(2005). The Tequila Worm. New York: Wendy Lamb Books
Book Summary
It is about a young girl, Sofia, growing up in a Mexican- American family. The story centered on family life and traditions. It starts with a young Sofia as she goes through the process of growing up from childhood to adulthood. The various stages of her life are marked by timeless traditions that keep her grounded throughout her life and teach her the value of family in her life. Sofia encounters conflict at school from other kids because she is different. Her resolve to succeed gives her the guts to rise above any petty conflict she encounters from other children. Sofia’s ambition to go to college and the effort that she puts in school finally earns her a scholarship, something that most kids would identify with.
My Impression
The story is rich with Mexican American culture. Unique Hispanic traditions such as Sofia and her sister coloring Easter cascarones (shells), celebrating el Dia de los Muertosare (day of the dead),storytelling and eating the tequila worm to cure home sickness blend seamlessly into Sofia’s everyday life. Daily activities such as papa preparing beans for dinner keep the family closely knit. Sophia doesn’t lose her family values even after achieving her dream of going to college. The author uses vivid language to make the story more real. She highlights issues that are common in our society today such as interracial conflicts in school.The story are told in first person. There were quite a number of Spanish words in the story which I found annoying at times. For example on p.5, Viola uses two Spanish words closely together.”Here is the ceramic baby Jesus for the manger of the of the Christmas nacimieto your abuelita builds each year”. They are italicized but so are some of Sofia’s thoughts, which is a bit confusing. Papa’s death seemed to come out of nowhere. There was no warning or preparation for the gut wrenching incident. I found this story interesting and rich in Hispanic culture.It would recommend this book to kids in grade 4 and up.Adults would also enjoy reading this book.
Reviews
BookList:
/*Starred Review*/ Gr. 6-9. From an early age, Sofia has watched the comadres in her close-knit barrio community, in a small Texas town, and she dreams of becoming «someone who makes people into a family,» as the comadres do. The secret, her young self observes, seems to lie in telling stories and «being brave enough to eat a whole tequila worm.» In this warm, entertaining debut novel, Canales follows Sofia from early childhood through her teen years, when she receives a scholarship to attend an exclusive boarding school. Each chapter centers on the vivid particulars of Mexican American traditions--celebrating the Day of the Dead, preparing for a cousin's quinceanera. The explanations of cultural traditions never feel too purposeful; they are always rooted in immediate, authentic family emotions, and in Canales' exuberant storytelling, which, like a good anecdote shared between friends, finds both humor and absurdity in sharply observed, painful situations--from weathering slurs and other blatant harassment to learning what it means to leave her community for a privileged, predominately white school. Readers of all backgrounds will easily connect with Sofia as she grows up, becomes a comadre, and helps rebuild the powerful, affectionate community that raised her. -- Gillian Engberg (Reviewed 10-15-2005) (Booklist, vol 102, number 4, p47)
Use in a Library Setting
Children can use this book to learn more about the Hispanic culture in an American context. Ask kids to read and research one experience such as food, quinceanera, or rituals related to life and death(el Dia de los Muertosare).
References/citations:
Book image from Barnes and Noble at: http://search.barnesandnoble.com/The-Tequila-Worm/Viola-Canales/e/9780375840890/?itm=1&USRI=the+tequila+worm