Under the Mesquite
Publisher
Lee & Low Books
Publication Year
2011
ISBN
9781600604294
Pages
224 pages
Genre
realism
Format
novel in verse
Item Type
Fiction
Annotation
Throughout her high school years, as her mother battles cancer, Lupita takes on more responsibility for her house and seven younger siblings, while finding refuge in acting and writing poetry.
Grade Level
6-8; 9-12
Lexile Measure
990L
Diversity Topics
Family Relationships; Culture/Ethnicity; Disability and Health; Family member death; Poverty; Bicultural; Illness; financial hardship; bicultural family; cancer; language barrier; death of a mother
Main Character
female teenager
Race/Ethnicities
Mexican-American
Awards
Amelia Elizabeth Walden Award, 2012, Finalist, Young Adult Literature
Americas Award for Children's and Young Adult Literature, 2012, Honor Book
Pura Belpre Award, 2012, Winner, Narrative
Tom s Rivera Mexican American Children's Book Award, 2013, Winner
William C. Morris Award, 2012, Finalist
Keywords
Mexican American; migration; hispanic; responsibility; hardships; different languages; immigrant families; acting
Diversity Impact
direct
STARS Citation
McCall, Guadalupe Garcia, "Under the Mesquite" (2011). Diverse Families. 2138.
https://stars.library.ucf.edu/diversefamilies/2138