The Secret Story of Sonia Rodriguez [Paperback]

Alan Lawrence Sitomer (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 9, 2010 | Age Level: 11 and up | Grade Level: 6 and up

Sonia Rodriguez was born in the United States, but her parents are Mexican immigrants who came to California before she was born. Her father has three Social Security numbers, her mother is pregnant (again), and neither of them speaks English. Sonia’s mother spends most of her time in bed, watching soap operas, and letting Sonia clean up after her brothers. Sonia’s father works dutifully to support his family, but he knows that his daughter’s dreams are bigger than making tamales for family get-togethers. When Sonia attempts to put school work before her familia, her mother decides that it’s time for Sonia to visit her grandmother in Mexico to learn “the ways of the old world.” While in Mexico, Sonia gets to know her wise grandmother and her cousin Maria, who teach her that while familia is important, the most important thing is to follow your heart. Sonia returns to the States determined to succeed in school, but the birth of her new twin siblings, inappropriate advances from her drunk uncle (Drunkle), and a forbidden relationship with an El Salvadorian boy push school to the back burner. If only Sonia can find the time to cook dinner, secretly meet with her boyfriend, avoid her Drunkle, AND finish her homework, she just might be able to graduate from high school. . . .

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 8–10—California-born Sonia Rodriguez, 15, the daughter of illegal Mexican immigrants, is determined to be the first high school graduate in her family. Her goal is nearly impossible to achieve when she is expected to cook, clean, and care for younger siblings while her pregnant mother lounges in bed watching telenovelas. Sonia's struggle is played out against a cast of stock characters, including her mother's obese, hyper-religious, and critical sister; her mother's alcoholic brother ("my drunkle"), who is frequently arrested and makes inappropriate sexual advances toward his niece; and her devoted, hardworking father, who seems oblivious to his family's exploitation of the daughter for whom he has high hopes. Sonia's awareness that her family's behavior reinforces negative stereotypes many Americans have about her culture strengthens her resolve to succeed. Despite her best intentions, the help of a sympathetic school counselor, and the wisdom she gains during a summer in Mexico with her grandmother, it seems that she will be defeated by her circumstances, but a surprising twist results in an uplifting ending. Sitomer, author of The Hoopster (2005) and Hip-Hop High School (2006, both Hyperion), in which Sonia appeared as a minor character, has a gift for capturing current high school culture and teen speak.—Ginny Gustin, Sonoma County Library System, Santa Rosa, CA
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Booklist

Sonía, 16, thinks that sunny metaphors that portray America as a melting-pot are nonsense. Her parents are illegals, driven north by poverty across the Mexican border, but she was born in the U.S. and is determined to graduate from high school. Her struggle is part Cinderella fairy tale and part contemporary immigrant realism, as she is forced to cook and clean for her family and must stay up past midnight to get her homework done. Candid about the prejudice not only toward Latinos but also within the Latino community (her gorgeous, tender boyfriend is Salvadoran, so he must be kept secret), Sonía’s first-person narrative expresses her fury at her family, including her mother, who still doesn’t speak English and treats Sonía as a servant; her macho brothers; and especially her drunk uncle (druncle), who tries to rape her. But Papi works three jobs, and he is her strong support, and after Sonía visits Mexico, she gains new respect for her roots. Sonía’s immediate voice will hold teens with its mix of anger, sorrow, tenderness, and humor. Grades 9-12. --Hazel Rochman --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 11 and up
  
• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Hyperion Book CH; Reprint edition (February 9, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1423130278
• ISBN-13: 978-1423130277
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5.5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #53,269 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #31 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > People & Places > Multicultural Stories > Hispanic & Latino
  • #45 in Books > Children's Books > Travel & Cultures > Multicultural Stories > Hispanic & Latino
  • #58 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > People & Places > Family Life > Multigenerational

More About the Author

Alan Lawrence Sitomer is California's 2007 Teacher of the Year. In addition to being an inner-city high school English teacher and former professor in the Graduate School of Education at Loyola Marymount University, Mr. Sitomer is a nationally renowned speaker specializing in engaging reluctant readers who received the 2004 award for Classroom Excellence from the Southern California Teachers of English and the 2003 Teacher of the Year honor from California Literacy. In April 2007, Alan was named Educator of the Year by Loyola Marymount University and in February 2008 The Insight Education Group named Alan Lawrence Sitomer the Innovative Educator of the Year.

Mr. Sitomer has also authored four young adult novels published by Disney, which include The Hoopster, Hip-Hop High School, Homeboyz and The Secret Story of Sonia Rodriguez.

The American Library Association named Homeboyz a Top Ten Book of the Year 2008, receiving the prestigious ALA Quick Pick Recognition for young adult novel which best engages reluctant readers. The Secret Story of Sonia Rodriguez was also been nominated for the same award.

Alan is the author of Hip-Hop Poetry & the Classics, a text being used in classrooms across the United States to illuminate classic poetry through hip-hop in order to engage disengaged students in both poetry and academics.

Additionally, Mr. Sitomer has just written a teacher's methodology book for Scholastic titled Teaching Teens & Reaping Results: In a Wi-Fi, Hip-Hop, Where-Has-All-The-Sanity-Gone World.

Most recently, Mr. Sitomer has authored The Alan Sitomer BookJam.

BookJams have been designed to nail core language arts standards, raise test scores, and return teachers to a position of strength. By bringing real books back into the classroom through a student-centric approach to learning in order to achieve core curriculum objectives, teachers can utilize all the tools Alan utilizes in his own classroom each and every day. BookJams are literally "straight out of Alan's private filing cabinet" and include a host of core, standards-based activities and lesson plans as well as a dynamic spectrum of 21st-century, hands-on learning projects. Intelligent grading rubrics, differentiated assessments and award-winning literature are all included.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars pretty good, definitely recommended., February 17, 2009

By 

Heather O'Roark "Heatherlee" (Round Lake, Il USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Secret Story of Sonia Rodriguez (Hardcover)

Sonia Rodriguez is a first generation American citizen - her parents were both born in Mexico and came to the United States illegally. Her father works three jobs and her mother stays home - mostly watching soap operas all day, leaving Sonia to do the cooking and cleaning and watching over her younger brothers. When Sonia isn't being her mother's slave, she tries to study while avoiding the advances of her alcoholic uncle ("drunkle"). When Sonia starts to rebel by putting more energy and effort into her schoolwork than she does into her duties at home, her mother decides she needs to spend the summer in Mexico with her grandmother and cousin to learn the importance of la familia.

Although her summer in Mexico is much better than she could have ever anticipated, Sonia comes home to an even worse situation than she left - her mother has given birth to twins, which gives Sonia about three times the work she previously had, leaving absolutely zero time for school work. Still, she is determined to succeed in school and be the first person in her family to earn a high school diploma. All she needs to do is balance cooking, cleaning, being a mom to twin newborns, and passing all her classes. Oh, and she also has to worry about her "drunkle", whose advances have become much less subtle and more scary by the day.

I "read" The Secret Story of Sonia Rodriguezas an audio book and it definitely kept me interested for my drives to and from work. I felt a lot of empathy for Sonia and found myself rooting for her throughout the entire book - I started to care about her and was really hoping for the book to end with her graduation from high school and entrance to college (don't worry, I won't tell if it happens or not!). Even though I have no experience living the kind of life described in this book, I had no problem relating to Sonia and her situation; I just felt like she was a very relatable character and seemed pretty realistic. Most of the other characters (except her father) annoyed me, and I truly don't know how realistic they were, but they definitely added a more colorful, harder-edged element to the story - especially her "drunkle".

I have to admit that I did get a little frustrated with Sonia that she never could seem to stick up for herself. It's probably just me, and it's probably a cultural disconnect, but I don't get how she could let her family treat her so terribly and never say anything about it. To me, families support each other, they don't treat one another like slaves, and they certainly don't verbally abuse one another constantly. Her family broke her spirit and abused her constantly, yet she never once stuck up for herself - I had a hard time connecting with that aspect of the book. But like I said, perhaps it is just a cultural disconnect that I simply can't appreciate. The book is overall pretty harsh, but it is a very engrossing read and ultimately inspiring. I would definitely recommend The Secret Story of Sonia Rodriguez.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars i think the book was awsome loving romeance famliy based, May 18, 2009

By 

Heather Olson Willman "willmansreaders" (Rochester, MN, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Secret Story of Sonia Rodriguez (Hardcover)

it only took me 5 days to read it a book take you by suprize i loved it.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyable and Unique, December 29, 2008

By 

Harmony Book Reviews "Harmony" - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: The Secret Story of Sonia Rodriguez (Hardcover)

The Secret Story of Sonia Rodriguez tackles what is now a very controversial subject - illegal immigrants from Mexico. While I'm sure you all have your own opinions on the subject, I know I do, this book was definitely an eye-opener.

The cast of characters was...well, interesting. Sonia, despite the whole immigrant part, was extremely easy to relate to. Her family members were realistic, despite their idiocy at some points. (Mainly her mother and aunt.)

The plot was also enjoyable and unique. I'd never read anything about Mexicans, especially not illegal ones, so it was refreshing, and as I stated above, eye-opening, to do so. Sitomer captured a raw truthfulness that many authors would not have been able to do.

But, that's not to say the book didn't have it's flaws. For one, it was extremely rushed at the middle and towards the end. I think there was a total of thirty or less pages spent in Mexico and after she decides to finish school, it all goes by with a blur. The character of Geraldo was also extremey cliche' and unrealistic. Sure, he's every girls' dream guy but, unfortunately, no male would ever act like he did.

Those things aside, I really did enjoy this and if you're looking for a good book to make you think, this one is it.