The Tequila Worm

November 21, 2005
This tender first novel suffers somewhat from an awkward structure. Narrator Sofia, whose life story hews closely to the author's own Texas barrio-to–Harvard Law trajectory, begins by relating quotidian childhood experiences as vignettes. Three successive chapters go from first communion to dyeing Easter cascarones
to trick-or-treating. A quarter of the way into the novel, she is suddenly 14 and has been offered a scholarship to a boarding school in Austin, Tex., 350 miles from her home in McAllen. The loosely connected anecdotes then shift to a conventional narrative thread about convincing her parents to let her attend. What will keep readers enthralled are the details of Sofia's home life—from the sobremesa,
a "sacred time" after dinner in which the family reconnects through conversation, to the worm of the title, a critter soaked in mescal that acts as a "cure for homesickness" when eaten. Readers may well feel unprepared for both a death at novel's end and Sofia's out-of-the-blue neighborhood activism—but the characters are real and engaging, the vignettes funny and enlightening, and Sofia's lack of cynicism is refreshing. Ages 12-up.

February 1, 2006
Gr 5-8 -Sofia, 14, lives in McAllen, TX. What she lacks in material possessions, she makes up for in personality and intelligence. When she is called a -taco head - by a student at her school, she decides to -kick that girl - by getting better grades and being a better soccer player than her tormentor. As a result of this determination, Sofia is offered a scholarship to the elite Saint Luke -s school in Austin. Now she must convince her family and herself that she is up to the challenge. Canales includes vivid descriptions of life in a Mexican-American community. Her prose is engaging and easy to read, making this novel a good choice for reluctant readers. The momentum slows a bit after Sofia -s arrival in Austin in contrast to the portion of the book set in McAllen. Still, the story is a good addition to most collections." -Melissa Christy Buron, Epps Island Elementary, Houston, TX"

Copyright 2006 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

January 1, 2006
Family and storytelling have always been the two most important aspects of Sofia's life. After a childhood in the barrio, chronicled here in entertaining vignettes, she accepts a scholarship to a boarding school. She leaves home and family behind but takes the stories with her. This engaging story is humorous, vivid, and poignant.

(Copyright 2006 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

Starred review from October 15, 2005
Gr. 6-9. From an early age, Sofia has watched the " comadres" in her close-knit barrio community, in a small Texas town, and she dreams of becoming "someone who makes people into a family," as the " comadres" do. The secret, her young self observes, seems to lie in telling stories and "being brave enough to eat a whole tequila worm." In this warm, entertaining debut novel, Canales follows Sofia from early childhood through her teen years, when she receives a scholarship to attend an exclusive boarding school. Each chapter centers on the vivid particulars of Mexican American traditions--celebrating the Day of the Dead, preparing for a cousin's " quinceanera." The explanations of cultural traditions never feel too purposeful; they are always rooted in immediate, authentic family emotions, and in Canales' exuberant storytelling, which, like a good anecdote shared between friends, finds both humor and absurdity in sharply observed, painful situations--from weathering slurs and other blatant harassment to learning what it means to leave her community for a privileged, predominately white school. Readers of all backgrounds will easily connect with Sofia as she grows up, becomes a " comadre," and helps rebuild the powerful, affectionate community that raised her.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2005, American Library Association.)