Breaking Through (Edition 001)

Breaking Through, by Francisco Jemises, was a fabulous book. It was full of fun and hardship. This book is an autobiography and was exactly what I was looking for. I would definitely rate this book with five stars.

The lesson in Breaking Through taught you that if you put your mind to something it will happen. Francisco Jemises (Frankie) tells how he went from a picking strawberries to going to college. Frankie, a Mexican boy comes to California with his family to live a better life. His father has back problems and cannot pick strawberries and his other siblings are to young to go and pick strawberries in the fields so all the work is on Frankie and his older brother Roberto. Frankies dream is to go to college, but no one in his family has ever gone to college. His father does not want to lose his spot as the most intelligent man of the house. at first, Frankies father did not want him to go to college because Roberto already left with a family of his own and Frankies father cannot hold the farm up without them. Frankie goes on to become president of his class and goes to college.

The author used a nice word choice when he used English and Spanish word in one sentence. Most of the time I did not understand what they meant when he used Spanish words. but it was still a fabulous book. his siblings,father and mother looked a lot different than I thought. The pictures were great.

This a 5 star book worth your time. Breaking Through exhibits a great way to relate to life and hardship. You will love this book. The ages for this book are 9-13. This is a fabulous book. Read Breaking Through

The novel, Breaking Through, is an autobiography by Francisco Jimenez. Nominated for the 2004-2005 California Young Reader Medal, Breaking Through will teach you about the discrimination of Mexican immigrants in the 1950's. If you enjoyed reading about Francisco, whom everyone calls Panchito, and his struggles in Breaking Through, you can pick up another book by Francisco Jimenez. One of his books is called The Circuit. This novel is about the Jimenez family earlier in life, when Panchito was just a little boy. Francisco Jimenez has written multiple picture books too.

Nobody knew Francisco's family crossed the U.S. Mexican border illegally. 10 years later, the dreaded border patrol picked up everybody who had crossed the border without permission. Someone had stay in their home in Santa Clara, California because the family was going to be forced to travel back to Ignores, Mexico. The two people were Roberto, the eldest brother, and Francisco. The boys went back to their house, and started school again. The brothers needed to make money to send back to their parents in Mexico. Panchito received a job as the school janitor at Santa Maria High School. Will the rest of the Jimenez family ever come back?

Breaking Through, by Francisco Jimenez, will surely capture your attention. It seems as though every sentence rolls on to the next, and his words are carefully chosen too. I couldn't put down this book until I had read it cover to cover, because on page 126 it Panchito says, "I am proud to be Catholic and Mexican and you must be too." This book explains about discrimination that many people still believe in today. Kids within the age group of 10-13 will appreciate this novel the most. I hope this chapter book will win the CYRM (California Young Reader Medal) this year.

If you thought that autobiographies were boring, you're wrong. Breaking Through is one novel that you won't forget after you read it. With a variety of sentence fluency, and vivid word choice you have to read it. It doesn't take much to go down to your local library and pick up a copy today.

I thought this book was very interesting. It told about the life of a boy who had moved to California from Mexico, where he was born. He had to work everyday after school to help support his poor family. He was very smart and maintained good grades and even got into college, which no one in his family had ever done before. He has to struggle with his father to make decisions financially and about his future. His father does not speak English and gets stressed out a lot. His mother is very understanding and tries to make everything work out for the family.

I enjoyed reading this book because it took place not too long ago and the boy was around my age. I could not believe that he had to work to help support his family. I thought it was interesting because whatever money I get, my parents let me keep for myself, but everything he had was given to his parents.

I would suggest reading this book because it shows the struggles of people on the other side of my country only a few decades ago. I would have never known what it was like there if I had not read this book.

The cliffhanger at the end of the Circuit is resolved in this amazing book. Francisco Jimenez's story of growing up poor and Mexican in the 1950s tells a powerful story. I highly recommend this book for all readers, young and old.

"Breaking Through" is an excellent follow-up for those of us hungering for more after "The Circuit." It follows Francisco Jimenez's life through high school. Francisco Jimenez goes deeper into depth about all that he faced, including his relationships with his parents. He accurately portrays the challenges so many parents and teens, especially Latinos, face in dealing with issues of love, understanding, and personal struggles that affect their relationships.I think teenagers will especially enjoy and connect with this book. It will inspire and motivate many. Teachers, use it in your classrooms - especially middle and high school!