Author+and+Book+Exploration

Raythan, Joey, and Tieg English 8-2 October 31, 2008 Author and Book Exploration of Breaking Through 1. The author of this classic novel is Francisco Jimenez. He hails from Tlaquepaque, Mexico and was born in 1943. In his youth, his family would roam about California as migrant workers doing back-breaking work and living far below the poverty line. He did not have regular schooling, but was still able to attended Santa Clara and Harvard University. Not only did he graduate in the top percentile of his class but he also received his PhD. from Columbia University, and went on to become a chairman of the Modern Languages and Literatures Department at Santa Clara University. Mr. Jimenez is now writing books for young people on the difficulties of growing up and surviving in a completely foreign country. His main interests and hobbies are mainly writing and teaching.

2. Francisco Jimenez's career was jump-started with his first book, The Circuit, the prequel to the book, Breaking Through. The Circuit won numerous young literature awards including Editor's choice in 1997, and the Boston Globe Horn Book Award for fiction. After The Circuit Mr. Jimenez next published a book called La Mariposa, which is an illustrated book also about life as a migrant worker. It also won numerous awards as well. After these books Mr. Jimenez authored Breaking Through, again about his life growing up, and, just like the first two won several awards with critics leaving glowing remarks for the critically acclaimed book. As well as writing books, he also heads the language and foreign departments at Santa Clara University.

3. Mr. Jimenez wrote this book to share the experience of being an illegal alien and the strife and hardship that being impoverished foreigner was and still is. He is interested in this subject matter mainly because it was his life and he wanted to share what he felt and how hard life is for so many destitute Mexicans traveling from Mexico to the U.S.

4. This book was originally published in 2001 and was published by Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston. Based on our inconclusive research we were not able to find whether it was first published in an article or not but as you mention it on the question sheet that it obviously was an article or magazine.

5. Rudolfo Anaya, a professional critic, said that, " Breaking Through is one boy's struggle to survive in the California migrant workers camps and in school. But this touching memoir is also about a Mexican family's love and desire to stay together.  I found it moving, heartrending, joyful, and sad.  A must-read for every teacher and young student in this country". "Publishers Weekly" has reviewed this book as well. Professional reviews of this book say that the book is a great journey of a young boy who strives to fit in a new culture, and shows the strength of the bonds that hold their family together through the hardest times.

6. Readers have said that this book is very well written and shows how loving and caring Francisco's family was to him and each other, even while living in extremely bad conditions. They also continue to say that the author portrays how hard Francisco had to work because while making money to support the family, he was also able to maintain good grades and get into a good college.

7. I do not believe there is any controversial or differing opinions about this book, although some people have suggested in their reviews that the setting of the book can sometimes get a little foggy or unclear while others have said that the setting was okay or did not mention it at all.

"Francisco Jimenez." Scholastic (1999) 1. 31 Oct 2008 http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/contributor.jsp?id=2265. http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/contributor.jsp?id=2265

http://www.scu.edu/fjimenez/

http://www.amazon.com/review/product/0618342486/ref=dp_top_cm_cr_acr_txt?%5Fencoding=UTF8&showViewpoints=1