The Circuit: Stories from the Life of a Migrant Child

In an interview with Book Links, Jimenez shared with Chris Liska Carger

that he “decided to relate the stories from the point of view of the child so that readers could hear the child’s voice, see through his eyes and feel through his heart.” How does using a first-person child’s perspective affect the narration of the stories? What are the advantages and disadvantages of using this narrative approach?

How does life on the circuit affect Francisco and the other characters? How does the circuit embody the challenges of immigration more broadly?

How is education depicted in the stories? What different forms of learning—practical, formal, moral—does Francisco experience? What is the significance of all these varying means of education?