The Tequila Worm

Canales, V. (2005). The tequila worm. New York: Wendy Lamb Books.

LS5360: Pura Belpré

What a great coming-of-age story, with so many messages about remembering what’s important – family, education, values, determination.  Sophia is a great role model and Canales’s use of imagery makes the description of life as a Mexican-American really pop – the descriptions and explanations of Day of the Dead and Quinceanera celebrations are so vivid!  The writing style is simple enough that a reluctant reader won’t get discouraged, but it’s also engaging enough – thanks to the details – to keep the hungry reader engaged, though the characters weren’t overly well-developed.