Parents' Guide to

The Tequila Worm

By Matt Berman, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 12+

Moving tale of Texas Latina going to White boarding school.

Book Viola Canales Family Life 2006
The Tequila Worm Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this book.

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age 12+

Based on 1 parent review

dorayfs
dorayfs Adult
November 25, 2009
age 12+

Great story for any age 12+

I really enjoyed reading this book. I am a Latina and I think that this book can show other cultures that latinos as not just in for taking their jobs, making things worse for them.

This title has:

Educational value
Great messages
Great role models
See all 1 parent review

What's the Story?

THE TEQUILA WORM is a fictionalized memoir of growing up in the warm embrace of the Mexican American barrio of McAllen, Texas. For Sofia, the center of her life is her extended family and her comadres, the girls who will become her lifelong friends. In fact, "friends" seems too pale a word for this intense, mutually supportive relationship. But Sofia has dreams beyond the barrio, and a pivotal event in her childhood gives her the drive to achieve them. When she wins a scholarship to an Episcopal boarding school hundreds of miles away, her family is reluctant to let her go, and determined to keep her tied firmly to her roots when she does.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (1):
Kids say (3):

First-time novelist Viola Canales creates a realistic but not didactic portrait of life in a Mexican American community in Texas. Canales' depiction will resonate with readers from within and without that culture. Vivid details of foods, traditions, rituals, and clothing are warm, rich, loving, and integrated into the daily life and mindset of all the characters.

When Sofia steps out of her community into one very alien to her -- a mostly White Protestant boarding school -- she neither loses touch with her home and culture nor feels like an outsider in her new setting. While she faces some prejudice in her new school, she also finds support, close friends, and a superb education while remaining true to herself. The Tequila Worm is a lovely, moving, warmhearted story that lingers long after the last page.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about some of the importance of family in The Tequila Worm. How does keeping ties with home and friends help Sofia in her new school setting? Have you ever had to be away from your family? How did that go?

  • In this ever changing world, should we hold on to culture and tradition? What do they do for us? Why are they important?

  • What foods and traditions help you feel like you belong to your culture? Do they give you comfort and help you feel connected when you're away from your family?

Book Details

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