Wednesday, March 11, 2015

The Tequila Worm by Viola Canales

Canales, V. (2005). The tequila worm (p. 208). New York: Wendy Lamb Books.

Themes: Family, traditions, courage, education

Characters: Sofia, Coach Clark, Tia Petra, Berta, Mama, Papa, Don Virginia, Lucy and Clara

Summary:
Sofia is a girl that lives in McAllen, Texas; a city rich with Mexican tradition. She was bullied in school and her teacher, Coach Clark, tells her she needs to be better than everyone else. She succeeds academically getting a scholarship to Saint Luke’s Episcopal School. Sofia wants to be strong enough to eat the worm in a tequila bottle. With this mindset, Sofia persevered hardship and accomplished her goals of going to Harvard.  She also learns to love her Mexican heritage.

Teachers can use this book to study Mexican traditions such as quinceaneras, El Dia de los Muertos,  and sobremesa. The teacher can also discuss why the author chose to use that metaphor of the tequila worm.

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