The Circuit Graphic Novel

by Francisco Jimenez, Celia Jacobs (Illustrator)

Overview

Poignantly told from a young boy’s perspective, the popular and award-winning memoir centered on a Mexican family working California’s fields is now a powerful graphic novel that will appeal to readers of Illegal and They Called Us Enemy. 

An honest and evocative account of a family’s journey from Mexico to the fields of California—and to a life of backbreaking work and constant household moves—as seen through the eyes of a boy who longs for education and the right to call one place home.

A popular choice for community reads, as well as school curricula and curriculum adoptions, Francisco Jiménez’s award-winning memoir, now brought to life in Celia Jacob’s beautiful and resonant artwork, is a powerful story of survival, faith, and hope. 

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780358348221
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	03/26/2024
Series:	The Circuit
Pages:	240
Product dimensions:	5.60(w) x 8.00(h) x 0.80(d)
Lexile:	GN750L (what's this?)
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

Francisco Jiménez emigrated from Tlaquepaque, Mexico, to California, where he worked for many years in the fields with his family. He received both his master’s degree and his Ph.D. from Columbia University and is now the chairman of the Modern Languages and Literature Department at Santa Clara University, the setting of much of his newest novel, Reaching Out. He is the Pura Belpre Honor winning author of The Circuit, Breaking Through, and La Mariposa. He is also the recipient of the John Steinbeck Award. He lives with his family in Santa Clara, California.

Celia Jacobs is a Portland-born illustrator who has lived in Los Angeles and New York City. Her interests include nature, music, and social issues, all of which she illustrates with sensitivity and California technicolor. She works for various brands and publications, once from an oceanographic research vessel and once from a lab in Bermuda, but mostly from the home studio she shares with a black-and-white dog named Archie.

Editorial Reviews

"The exquisite illustrations are warm and weathered, perfectly complementing the emotional storytelling. A poignant, beautiful story of family, endurance, and appreciation." — Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

 “Jiménez’s plainspoken narration resonates with dignity, humility, and timelessness. The mixed-media illustrations convey both the time period and the mood.” — Horn Book Magazine

“A moving story about family, faith, hope, and resilience through trying times and experiences. This book will interest those who enjoyed They Called Us Enemy, The ­Distance ­Between Us, and I Was Their American Dream.” — School Library Journal (starred review)

From the Publisher

★ 04/01/2024

Gr 4–8—Adapted from the award-winning memoir of the same name and the true-life account of the author, this graphic novel details Jiménez's journey with his family as they trek from Mexico across La Frontera to build their new life in California. The memoir, told from the perspective of Jiménez as a young boy, expertly recounts the trials and tribulations he and his family faced as they ventured to find their home. Readers will be captivated by Jiménez's story and relate to his yearning for a permanent residence, as the family hops from town to town and faces obstacles at each turn in search of a better life. While parts of the material may be difficult to read for some, Jiménez's youthful perspective bestows a gentleness to the narrative, which provides ease to these moments. In a sepialike tone, the illustrations are beautifully woven through the story, which includes some Spanish (translations are provided). This book will interest those who enjoyed They Called Us Enemy, The Distance Between Us, and I Was Their American Dream. VERDICT A moving story about family, faith, hope, and resilience through trying times and experiences.—Cat Miserendino

School Library Journal

★ 2023-12-16
A young Mexican immigrant tells the story of his family and the lives of other migrant farm workers in this graphic novel adaptation of a classic 1997 memoir that won multiple awards.

Panchito, whose family left the Guadalajara area and crossed la frontera in the late 1940s, is growing up with his parents and five siblings. As the seasons pass, they move around California—Selma, Visalia, Bakersfield, Corcoran, and Santa Maria, among other places—finding work picking different crops. Panchito’s story unfolds in chronologically arranged, self-contained short stories, and readers follow the family through their circuit, from picking cotton and strawberries to topping carrots and thinning lettuce. They experience significant sorrows, such as when baby Torito ends up near death due to a lack of health care. The narrative doesn’t dwell on these moments, instead sharing the truth of hardship: that even where there’s sadness, there’s also joy to be found. Panchito’s time with older brother Roberto, the advice he receives from his mamá, and little moments with his friends allow readers to experience life’s simple pleasures alongside the family’s struggles. The exquisite illustrations are warm and weathered, perfectly complementing the emotional storytelling and evoking the mid-20th-century setting. Each person introduced serves a purpose, adding greater insights into Panchito’s life, and carefully relayed sensory details and seamlessly integrated Spanish words pull readers into the setting. The touching author’s note helps frame the memoir and its significance.

A poignant, beautiful story of family, endurance, and appreciation. (glossary) (Graphic memoir. 8-12)

Kirkus Reviews