Common Sense Media Review
By Sally Engelfried
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Latina teen faces mom's cancer in award-winning verse novel.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 12+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
What's the Story?
As the oldest of eight, Lupita has a special bond with her mami. When she finds out her mother ther has cancer, she is devastated. With worry about Mami's sickness as a backdrop, Lupita goes through four years of high school, reminiscing about the Mexican homeland she left at age 6, analyzing her relationships with her family and friends, making her way through school as a drama student, and dealing with the heartbreak and worry she feels about her mother. She finds comfort in writing her thoughts in verse under the sturdy mesquite tree in her family's backyard.
Is It Any Good?
The Spanish words and phrases sprinkled liberally throughout UNDER THE MESQUITE add an exotic flavor to the free verse, yet never inhibit the flow or clarity of the story. Narrator Lupita moves the reader easily back and forth through time, remembering her childhood, thinking about her future, and experiencing the heartbreaking present as she watches her mother's health deteriorate, all while struggling to hold onto her dreams of being a college student, an actress, and a writer.
Under the Mesquite has won numerous awards, was named an ALA Notable Children's Book by the American Library Association, and made the Young Adult Library Services Association's 2012 Top Ten Best Fiction for Young Adults list.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how Lupita finds strength and inspiration sitting under the mesquite tree in the garden. Is there a place you can go to give you comfort like that?
Have you ever had to reverse roles like this and take care of a parent or older person? How did it make you feel?
Lupita writes out her sadness (and her joy) in poetry. Do you have a way to express your feelings when you don't feel you can talk about them with anyone?
Book Details
- Author :
- Genre : Coming of Age
- Topics : Family Stories ( Siblings ) , School ( High School )
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Lee & Low Books
- Publication date : September 1, 2011
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 12 - 18
- Number of pages : 224
- Awards : ALA Best and Notable Books , Pura Belpré Awards and Honors
- Last updated : October 1, 2025
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
Suggest an Update
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate