Customer Reviews

Breaking Through

5 star:		(21)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

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.

"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!

My review of Breaking Through

This award-winning book is very interesting and adventure-packed!!! This book is about a family that escapes Mexico illegally. When they get to America, a couple of months pass and the Boarder Patrol find them. I recommend this book because it teaches people about how poor people live or how they kind of live.
This book's theme is courage. It shows courage when Francisco's father was really sick. Or when Francisco had not to be scared about being in the U.S. illegally. Also when Trampita was outside all night. And finally when Roberto's parents had to go back to Mexico. And that is how the book Breaking Through is full of courage.
The characters in this book are Mama, Papa, Roberto, Francisco, and Trampita. Roberto is the first of the children to get married. Francisco gets a job to help out his family. Trampita is Francisco's oldest littlest brother. Mama stays home and cleans there house. The characters, these things that happen in this book actually happened to them.
The setting of this book is in Mexico and the United States. They have to keep switching countries. Francisco has to keep switching and missing schools. Also the land is very dry and humid. And they didn't like sneaking into America.
This book is great for teaching people about love and caring for the whole family. I would recommend this book 5 out of 5 stars. This shows love, compassion, hard times and caring for their whole family. And not to forget about anyone that's in their family. And it teaches other people about how poor people live.

I bought *Breaking Through* without realizing that it was a sequel to *The Circuit*. Nonetheless, you aren't lost if you start with *Breaking Through* I loved this memoir because it was one of the best portrayal of a migrant family.

This memoir chronicled the life of Francisco Jimenez from the time that him and his family entered America from Mexico to his entrance into college.

The Jimenez family saved up some money and entered into Mexico illegally. They were soon caught, after a time, and deported back. However, they were able to get papers and return. Despite living in the land of freedom and opportunities, the family has to work hard in order to survive. They worked in strawberry fields, lettuce patches and cleaned buildings.

Francisco is loving school yet struggled to stay on top as he also has to work. His older brother did well in school but worked nearly as much as their often-ill father did. The mother stayed home and took care of the children. However, she often substituted in their work when needed.

*Breaking Through* is a story of a family working together. It's also a story of one finding one's own identity in America. It's also a story of one trying to achieve the American dream.

You'll laugh. You'll cry. If you don't understand the Mexican culture, you'll find yourself puzzled at some things. Coming from a Hispanic family, I found myself nodding and taking strolls in memory lane.

Overall, it's easy reading for a great book.

Book Review on Breaking Through


Hi, this book Breaking Through by Francisco Jimenez is a sad book. Why is it a sad book? A boy named Francisco struggles through life trying to keep his family together. He works and goes to school, also trying to keep his grades up. This book is a good book because of the Theme, believable charters, and a nice setting.

The theme is, heart breaking. It's heart breaking since a boy and his family have to face many difficult obstacles. The obstacles are not easy for Francisco and his family. They have to pay bills but they don't have any money. So the whole family except mom and the youngest ones have to work.

Besides the heart breaking theme there are nice believable charters. The charters sometimes where confused. They where confused because they didn't have money. No one to help them, and struggled to keep food on the table.

There also was a very good setting. The setting took place in many different places. Like school, fields, gas company, Twitchel and Twitchel. There are many different places. So that means that the family is all over the places.

So this book has a great theme. Wonderful setting that makes you feel like your there watching it all happing. Also nice believable charters that do things that you could relate to. So if you like heart breaking novels then this is the book for you.


The End

I bought this book after I'd read The Circuit because I needed to find out what happened to the family. I was intrigued by both books, found them fairly easy reading, and believe that they open up opportunities for discussion with teens. Thought provoking, well-written, very descriptive, somewhat depressing although I found the characters' spirit amazing and inspiring, and all together a very good read. Great for young adults as well as adults...highly recommended.

Book Review of Breaking Through


This book tells the story about a boy's life and how his family struggles with money. In this book Breaking Through by Francisco Jimenez a boy name Frankie has to manage school, work and his family. The whole book is about the hard time Mexicans had to go through during that time. The Mexicans would go past the gate somehow to get to the U.S. because Mexico was really poor and they got paid just enough to let them live but not enough to go up in life so they had to keep working. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes books about hard times and how they overcame challenges.
The main themes of this book are courage, bravery, love and friendship. The reason I picked courage was when Frankie's dad gets his finger cut off and he gets through all the pain. I pick bravery from when Frankie made a speech in front of the club roddery club without knowing he had to. I picked love from when Roberto got married and had a little baby named Jackie. I picked friendship because Frankie makes a lot of friends in the different clubs like the school council and Spanish club. The main characters in this book are Papa Mama Frankie Robert. And Frankie's little brother and sister. Frankie is school president and more of a get to know guy. Papa is always in a bad mood and works in the fields. Roberto is a janitor at a high school and worked a little in a restaurant. Mama is always worrying for papa and stays home and cleans with Frankie's little brother and sister. Frankie's little brother helps Frankie at work sometimes.
The main themes are home, work and school. Frankie's cleans buildings before and after school as a janitor by places in the country. Mama is home all day cleaning the house sometimes With Frankie's little brother. Robert is the high school janitor and works after school with Frankie when he was young. Roberto also worked at a restaurant for a couple days because he got fired for not working for a while because the boarder patrol caught the family but you'll have to see why.
I would recommend this book to everyone who likes excitement friendship and Mexicans going through hard times and how they got passed them. Frankie and Robert both get shut down because they went over to some peoples houses and the parents didn't want them to see them again because there Mexicans. But Roberto gets married without the other dad's permission. But you'll have to see what happens. Frankie makes a lot of friends going through middle school and high school. Couples of boys ask him to put on a dress in front of the whole school with them. Will he do it? You'll have to find out.

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 listened to the audio version of this book, which I feel is extremely powerful since the narrarator can say words I am not familiar with in Spanish. You almost feel as if you are experiencing the troubles that Panchito experiences. I read this to my class, which mostly consists of children immigrated from Mexico, with households that Spanish is the primary language. The kids went bananas while listening to words they know that the teacher didn't know. Stories of all sorts came to light and descriptive writing came to life. Try this book as well as The Circuit (I like this one best though). If you don't speak Spanish fluently I recommend the audio versions.