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The Tequila Worm
Sofia comes from a family of storytellers. Here are her tales of growing up in the barrio in McAllen, Texas, full of the magic and mystery of family making Easter cascarones , celebrating el Dia de los Muertos , preparing for quinceañera , rejoicing in the Christmas nacimiento , and curing homesickness by eating the tequila worm. When Sofia is singled out to receive a scholarship to boarding school, she longs to explore life beyond the barrio, even though it means leaving her family to navigate a strange world of rich, privileged kids. It’s a different mundo, but one where Sofia’s traditions take on new meaning and illuminate her path.
208 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2005
108 people are currently reading
1844 people want to read
About the author
Viola Canales
4 books33 followersViola Canales (b. April 21, 1957)) is an American writer originally from McAllen, Texas. She has published a short story collection, Orange Candy Slices and Other Secret Tales (2001), and a novel, The Tequila Worm (2005), for which she won the Pura Belpré Award in 2006.
Canales attended St. Stephen's Episcopal School in Austin, Harvard College, and Harvard Law School. She has been a captain in the US Army, a litigator, and an official in the Clinton Administration.
Canales attended St. Stephen's Episcopal School in Austin, Harvard College, and Harvard Law School. She has been a captain in the US Army, a litigator, and an official in the Clinton Administration.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 299 reviews
April 1, 2016
I found myself laughing throughout the story as I related to a lot of the stories in this book. There need to be more books like this out there for kids, books that will make them proud of their heritage, books that will make them value family, books that will inspire a young child to aspire and achieve great things in life.
Sofia is a young Mexican girl who lives with her family in McAllen, Texas. She tells stories of her family and the traditions that have been passed on to them. It is a beautiful coming of age story. Sofia is top of her class and has been awarded a scholarship to attend a school far away from her family. The school consists of mostly white, privileged kids, which has Sofia worried that she will not fit in. Sofia has to first convince her family that this is the right choice for her.
There were some funny and moving stories throughout. In one, Sofia's mother dresses her up as a taco for Halloween. She finds a brown jumpsuit and wraps a tan colored blanket around her. Her cousin, Berta, tells her of trick or treating on the other side of town, where they give real chocolate bars and dimes at every house. Sofia's mom takes her around their street, where at the first house she is given a candy skull with her name. Sofia is not impressed. At the second house, she is given a cucumber, and she hates cucumbers. Each house she goes to she is given religious cards, a carrot, more cucumbers, dry beans, more cucumbers, and so on until Sofia gets so frustrated and asks her mom to please take her to the other side of town. I was laughing so hard visualizing this exchange but there is a lesson to be learned from this story and it even made me reflect a little on how ungrateful we can be and how we can take people for granted.
In another, Sofia goes to visit her "plastic" aunt. Her house is completely covered in plastic wall to wall. Her sofas, her dining table, her end tables, even the carpet has plastic over it, so that all the furniture will be protected for years and years. Sofia sits down and immediately starts sweating, creating little puddles around her legs. When she gets up she has to slowly pry herself off the plastic. I was laughing so hard because I know some people who live like that.
Above all, I love the special bond Sofia shares with her dad. There is a touching story of how Sofia would clean and cook beans with her father every week. That was their special routine where they would talk about all sorts of things or just sit in silence enjoying each other's company.
After getting to know Sofia, I almost felt like I was not going to be able to finish reading this book. I was a fool for trying to finish this out at work. There is a gut wrenching part in the book and I felt like my heart was being ripped out of my chest. I had to try so hard to swallow back the knot in my throat and hold back the tears. The more I tried to control my emotions, the more they threatened to burst forth.
The book won the Pura Belpre award, which I had never heard of. This is a great book filled with great family values, family traditions, and a great female character that girls can look up to. It also has great humor throughout. The chapters are presented in a somewhat choppy style but I feel that this was probably the author's intent to present it in a storytelling manner.
Sofia is a young Mexican girl who lives with her family in McAllen, Texas. She tells stories of her family and the traditions that have been passed on to them. It is a beautiful coming of age story. Sofia is top of her class and has been awarded a scholarship to attend a school far away from her family. The school consists of mostly white, privileged kids, which has Sofia worried that she will not fit in. Sofia has to first convince her family that this is the right choice for her.
There were some funny and moving stories throughout. In one, Sofia's mother dresses her up as a taco for Halloween. She finds a brown jumpsuit and wraps a tan colored blanket around her. Her cousin, Berta, tells her of trick or treating on the other side of town, where they give real chocolate bars and dimes at every house. Sofia's mom takes her around their street, where at the first house she is given a candy skull with her name. Sofia is not impressed. At the second house, she is given a cucumber, and she hates cucumbers. Each house she goes to she is given religious cards, a carrot, more cucumbers, dry beans, more cucumbers, and so on until Sofia gets so frustrated and asks her mom to please take her to the other side of town. I was laughing so hard visualizing this exchange but there is a lesson to be learned from this story and it even made me reflect a little on how ungrateful we can be and how we can take people for granted.
In another, Sofia goes to visit her "plastic" aunt. Her house is completely covered in plastic wall to wall. Her sofas, her dining table, her end tables, even the carpet has plastic over it, so that all the furniture will be protected for years and years. Sofia sits down and immediately starts sweating, creating little puddles around her legs. When she gets up she has to slowly pry herself off the plastic. I was laughing so hard because I know some people who live like that.
Above all, I love the special bond Sofia shares with her dad. There is a touching story of how Sofia would clean and cook beans with her father every week. That was their special routine where they would talk about all sorts of things or just sit in silence enjoying each other's company.
After getting to know Sofia, I almost felt like I was not going to be able to finish reading this book. I was a fool for trying to finish this out at work. There is a gut wrenching part in the book and I felt like my heart was being ripped out of my chest. I had to try so hard to swallow back the knot in my throat and hold back the tears. The more I tried to control my emotions, the more they threatened to burst forth.
The book won the Pura Belpre award, which I had never heard of. This is a great book filled with great family values, family traditions, and a great female character that girls can look up to. It also has great humor throughout. The chapters are presented in a somewhat choppy style but I feel that this was probably the author's intent to present it in a storytelling manner.
September 11, 2008
Loved it. Gave it to my daughter. Want to fill her bookshelves with strong young women characters.
November 11, 2007
Tequila Worm is intriguing. It opened a door for me, a non-Latino, into a world that is complicated and unfamiliar to me. Especially touching were the cafeteria scenes. Ms. Canales does a great job illustrating the complex nature of interpersonal/inter-racial relationships and finding a safe place for ourselves in the world. We just all want to belong right where we are; sometimes that is really, really hard! I was especially lucky to meet this author when she came to talk to the students at Webb Middle School in Austin, TX. Ms. Canales is an accomplished and amazing woman; among other things, she's been an officer in the military, a presidential advisor, a lawyer, an author, an inspirational speaker - she's a force of nature! Give Tequila Worm a try.
June 30, 2016
Finally finished this book. It's an incredible story about family and identity.
December 4, 2018
Esta es mi segunda revisión en español, así que estoy tratando de profundizar más. Los hispanohablantes se sienten libres de corregir cualquiera de mis errores.
Quería que me gustara este libro. Realmente lo hice. Sonaba como una lectura fascinante. El libro en sí es algo autobiográfico y en cierto modo recuerda a "Like Water for Chocolate" en eso gran parte de los libros gira en torno a la comida mexicana.
Primero, la escritura fue horriblemente mala. Sobre la estructura simple de las oraciones, algo que un estudiante de primaria se sentiría orgulloso de escribir. La trama fue lenta. Sé que la autora estaba tratando de contar su historia y dar antecedentes, pero en mi opinión, gran parte de ella era mundana e innecesaria. Ninguna de las historias realmente me interesó, excepto el final. Los personajes eran uno demensional y realmente antipático. Lo que fue desafortunado fue que realmente podría haber sido una historia interesante. Siempre disfruto al ver a la gente subir a la cima y convertirse en mejores versiones de sí mismos, pero esto simplemente no funciona. Acabo de pasar uno este.
Quería que me gustara este libro. Realmente lo hice. Sonaba como una lectura fascinante. El libro en sí es algo autobiográfico y en cierto modo recuerda a "Like Water for Chocolate" en eso gran parte de los libros gira en torno a la comida mexicana.
Primero, la escritura fue horriblemente mala. Sobre la estructura simple de las oraciones, algo que un estudiante de primaria se sentiría orgulloso de escribir. La trama fue lenta. Sé que la autora estaba tratando de contar su historia y dar antecedentes, pero en mi opinión, gran parte de ella era mundana e innecesaria. Ninguna de las historias realmente me interesó, excepto el final. Los personajes eran uno demensional y realmente antipático. Lo que fue desafortunado fue que realmente podría haber sido una historia interesante. Siempre disfruto al ver a la gente subir a la cima y convertirse en mejores versiones de sí mismos, pero esto simplemente no funciona. Acabo de pasar uno este.
August 3, 2009
An absolutely splendid novel, especially for anyone from Texas, especially for anyone near the border. Sofia is a young girl who dreams of life beyond "The Valley," what South Texas Residents call The Rio Grande Valley. Most people she knows can't comprehend why anyone would want to move away from the valley, away from family, and away from what she knows.
The story is about Sofia learning to be a comadre, about learning to be part of the network of closeknit group of family and friends, about staying true to where's she's from while at the same time true to the person she hopes to become. Her father is supportive of her dreams of going far away; he hopes for his daughter to go to "the same college JFK did"; her mother is not unsupportive so much as she does not understand her daughter's dreams.
The story is a wonderful celebration of Valley culture as it used to be, of a time and a place. There's both a lot of humor and joy, as well as sadness.
This is a "YA" novel, young adult, but as an adult, I found it thoroughly worth reading. Really good stuff.
The story is about Sofia learning to be a comadre, about learning to be part of the network of closeknit group of family and friends, about staying true to where's she's from while at the same time true to the person she hopes to become. Her father is supportive of her dreams of going far away; he hopes for his daughter to go to "the same college JFK did"; her mother is not unsupportive so much as she does not understand her daughter's dreams.
The story is a wonderful celebration of Valley culture as it used to be, of a time and a place. There's both a lot of humor and joy, as well as sadness.
This is a "YA" novel, young adult, but as an adult, I found it thoroughly worth reading. Really good stuff.
March 21, 2018
What a touching story! The descriptions of her family and traditions are vivid and beautiful. I loved this book and highly recommend it!
August 12, 2015
I needed this book. It was a pleasant break from the heaviness of the last two books we’ve featured, which isn’t to say that it’s insignificant or unimportant in any way. It’s certainly not a ‘fluff’ book. It’s incredibly moving and meaningful, yet there’s still an air of lightness to it. It’s infused with humor, even as you read some of the more serious sections. This is the kind of book that you find yourself smiling through, or maybe even laughing out loud.
I couldn’t have asked for more perfect timing. We’ve spent the last two months holding a variety of workshops on teaching about Día de los Muertos. In all of these workshops we talk about the importance of avoiding the "holidays and heroes" or multicultural tourism approach to teaching about cultures and cultural traditions. Canales’ book shows how this can be done. Through reading The Tequila Worm students learn about various celebrations and traditions, but there’s a depth to it - these things are conceptualized within what it means to be a family and a member of a community. As teachers, we often have students research cultural traditions as class projects, but it can be difficult to do this in a way that’s meaningful, or so that it doesn’t come across as if it were written for a travel brochure. Canales’ book offers a way to do this because the traditions and rituals are contextualized within family relationships. In one article, Canales discusses her experiences and offers thoughts on the cultural importance of The Tequila Worm: “At one Texas reading for The Tequila Worm, a group of women were saying the most striking things, such as ‘I know there are a lot of Mexicans in Austin, but I didn’t not really understand the richness of the culture—and now I am feeling culture envy.’ Culture envy. . .That is where I want to go with this. I want people to weep for the destruction of the Ninth Ward in New Orleans and to weep for the music lost, the recipes, the warmth, and the magic lost, the creativity gone. I want them to feel the same appreciation for the Mexican-American culture” (p. 77).
I often talk about the books we feature as counter-narratives because I think this is such an important part of the need for diverse literature in the classroom. Too often I sat in the teachers’ lounge listening to colleagues talk about how the parents of our students of color just didn’t value education or family. This book shows just how wrong that misconception is. This is a story about a beautiful family whose love allows their children to become who they want to be, and in doing this prepares them to grapple with el otro mundo and still hold on to their own identity. It is a book that celebrates the unique and the eccentric that make us the individuals we are, but that also allow us to be a community that loves and supports one another.
When I read a book, I almost always have a favorite character, maybe one I identify with more, one who resonates with me, or one who just makes me laugh. I don’t with this novel. I loved every single one of Canales’ characters. Sofia’s relationship with her father is quite special, and it may be easier for students to see how important it is because it’s a little more overt. Yet her relationship with her mother, her little sister Lucy, and her best friend Berta are just as important to her ultimate success.
By the end of the book, Sofia understands the beauty, strength and importance of her family, their history, and their traditions, but this takes her some time to come to understand. It’s when she’s confronted with the cultural clash at Saint Luke’s boarding school that she comes to understand the value of her own community and what sets her apart from her peers. This is a necessary conversation that we need to be having in our classrooms, where too often the dominant culture is judged to be right or the best. Our students need to read stories that offer critiques of dominant culture, and show protagonists who critically and consciously evaluate this, and don’t necessarily go along with it.
While much of the story is based on Canales’ own childhood, the ending isn’t. The beautiful plaza that Sofia returns to doesn’t exist except in Canales' imagination: “The placito is metaphorical. To change an outlook, you have to be shown something that is positive, that is beautiful. . .We all need a better world right now. America is stuck; it has lost its magic in life and people live life as work. I think we only start dreaming again with myth and spirituality in our lives. Only then can we conjure up a better society” (p. 79). For me, Canales’ book is definitely a step in that direction.
The Tequila Worm has earned a variety of awards and recognitions: Américas Award Honorable Mention (2005), Pura Belpré Award for Writing (2006), ALSC Notable Children Book (2006),and the Judy Lopez Memorial Award Honor Book, among others.
Our free educator’s guide is available on our wordpress blog Vamos a Leer at http://wp.me/P27SUF-1zb.
I couldn’t have asked for more perfect timing. We’ve spent the last two months holding a variety of workshops on teaching about Día de los Muertos. In all of these workshops we talk about the importance of avoiding the "holidays and heroes" or multicultural tourism approach to teaching about cultures and cultural traditions. Canales’ book shows how this can be done. Through reading The Tequila Worm students learn about various celebrations and traditions, but there’s a depth to it - these things are conceptualized within what it means to be a family and a member of a community. As teachers, we often have students research cultural traditions as class projects, but it can be difficult to do this in a way that’s meaningful, or so that it doesn’t come across as if it were written for a travel brochure. Canales’ book offers a way to do this because the traditions and rituals are contextualized within family relationships. In one article, Canales discusses her experiences and offers thoughts on the cultural importance of The Tequila Worm: “At one Texas reading for The Tequila Worm, a group of women were saying the most striking things, such as ‘I know there are a lot of Mexicans in Austin, but I didn’t not really understand the richness of the culture—and now I am feeling culture envy.’ Culture envy. . .That is where I want to go with this. I want people to weep for the destruction of the Ninth Ward in New Orleans and to weep for the music lost, the recipes, the warmth, and the magic lost, the creativity gone. I want them to feel the same appreciation for the Mexican-American culture” (p. 77).
I often talk about the books we feature as counter-narratives because I think this is such an important part of the need for diverse literature in the classroom. Too often I sat in the teachers’ lounge listening to colleagues talk about how the parents of our students of color just didn’t value education or family. This book shows just how wrong that misconception is. This is a story about a beautiful family whose love allows their children to become who they want to be, and in doing this prepares them to grapple with el otro mundo and still hold on to their own identity. It is a book that celebrates the unique and the eccentric that make us the individuals we are, but that also allow us to be a community that loves and supports one another.
When I read a book, I almost always have a favorite character, maybe one I identify with more, one who resonates with me, or one who just makes me laugh. I don’t with this novel. I loved every single one of Canales’ characters. Sofia’s relationship with her father is quite special, and it may be easier for students to see how important it is because it’s a little more overt. Yet her relationship with her mother, her little sister Lucy, and her best friend Berta are just as important to her ultimate success.
By the end of the book, Sofia understands the beauty, strength and importance of her family, their history, and their traditions, but this takes her some time to come to understand. It’s when she’s confronted with the cultural clash at Saint Luke’s boarding school that she comes to understand the value of her own community and what sets her apart from her peers. This is a necessary conversation that we need to be having in our classrooms, where too often the dominant culture is judged to be right or the best. Our students need to read stories that offer critiques of dominant culture, and show protagonists who critically and consciously evaluate this, and don’t necessarily go along with it.
While much of the story is based on Canales’ own childhood, the ending isn’t. The beautiful plaza that Sofia returns to doesn’t exist except in Canales' imagination: “The placito is metaphorical. To change an outlook, you have to be shown something that is positive, that is beautiful. . .We all need a better world right now. America is stuck; it has lost its magic in life and people live life as work. I think we only start dreaming again with myth and spirituality in our lives. Only then can we conjure up a better society” (p. 79). For me, Canales’ book is definitely a step in that direction.
The Tequila Worm has earned a variety of awards and recognitions: Américas Award Honorable Mention (2005), Pura Belpré Award for Writing (2006), ALSC Notable Children Book (2006),and the Judy Lopez Memorial Award Honor Book, among others.
Our free educator’s guide is available on our wordpress blog Vamos a Leer at http://wp.me/P27SUF-1zb.
July 19, 2010
Genre: fiction
Format: traditional literature text
Age level: upper middle school
This bulk of the book is written in the voice of 14 year old Sofia; however, we get to know her from childhood to adulthood. Sofia talks about her life growing up in McAllen, Texas in a traditional Mexican-American household. Her family is close-knit and one of the main themes of the book is becoming a “comadre” or “someone who makes people into a family.”
This idea is tested when Sofia leaves her community of McAllen for an all-white boarding school in Austin, Texas. The book takes an emotional turn here and again after the death of one of Sofia’s close family members. As an adult she returns to her McAllen neighborhood and tries to resurrect the sense of community that has been buried by overpopulation and crime.
The story is a quick-read and has many humorous moments which poke fun at cultural differences between Sofia and the other girls at St. Luke’s Episcopal School. The novel has many themes such as family life, racism, school life, communities, Hispanic heritage, etc. This is a good book for upper middle school students and readers of this book would also probably enjoy books by Judy Blume such as Blubber and Deenie since they share a similar style of writing.
Format: traditional literature text
Age level: upper middle school
This bulk of the book is written in the voice of 14 year old Sofia; however, we get to know her from childhood to adulthood. Sofia talks about her life growing up in McAllen, Texas in a traditional Mexican-American household. Her family is close-knit and one of the main themes of the book is becoming a “comadre” or “someone who makes people into a family.”
This idea is tested when Sofia leaves her community of McAllen for an all-white boarding school in Austin, Texas. The book takes an emotional turn here and again after the death of one of Sofia’s close family members. As an adult she returns to her McAllen neighborhood and tries to resurrect the sense of community that has been buried by overpopulation and crime.
The story is a quick-read and has many humorous moments which poke fun at cultural differences between Sofia and the other girls at St. Luke’s Episcopal School. The novel has many themes such as family life, racism, school life, communities, Hispanic heritage, etc. This is a good book for upper middle school students and readers of this book would also probably enjoy books by Judy Blume such as Blubber and Deenie since they share a similar style of writing.
November 24, 2015
Have you ever heard about this book called The Tequila Worm by Viola Canales . The book is about a girl Sophia who is coming of age. It starts out in her early childhood and soon fast forwards to more of her early teenage years. The book is set in a small town in Texas named McAllen. And in the book it talks about her problems and her decisions that she has to make and this really big decision that will come to a complete change in her life. This makes me realize in the book that the character changes slowly over time., which something I really liked about the book. If you are interested in Hispanic culture, this book will you learn about their traditions and holidays. I really encourage you to read this book because I think you will enjoy it as much as I did.
January 17, 2016
4 Platypires for The Tequila Worm by Viola Canales
The title and the cover is what initially hooked me. I had it on my TBR shelf for a while and finally picked it up from a local book store. I'm so glad I did.
The Tequila Worm is a culturally filled book that is filled with humor and a lot of love. I truly enjoyed the family dynamic. I thought it captured what it means to be apart of a Hispanic family. I also learned a lot about Mexican traditions that were really new to me even after growing up in Texas.
Overall this was a nice read and would recommend it to those looking to read about other cultures.
The title and the cover is what initially hooked me. I had it on my TBR shelf for a while and finally picked it up from a local book store. I'm so glad I did.
The Tequila Worm is a culturally filled book that is filled with humor and a lot of love. I truly enjoyed the family dynamic. I thought it captured what it means to be apart of a Hispanic family. I also learned a lot about Mexican traditions that were really new to me even after growing up in Texas.
Overall this was a nice read and would recommend it to those looking to read about other cultures.
February 23, 2018
This was a fantastic read a loud for my 6th graders. Loved sharing another great diverse voice with them.
July 25, 2017
The Tequila Worm by Viola Canales is a young adult/children’s book that was published in 2005. The book received many awards and recognitions including the Américas Award Honorable Mention in 2005 and the Pura Belpré Award for Writing in 2006. That same year the book was recognized as an ALSC Notable Children Book & a Judy Lopez Memorial Award Honor Book. Viola Canales is from McAllen, Texas, attended St. Stephen’s Episcopal School in Austin, Texas and graduated from Harvard Law School. The Tequila Worm is a fictional book based on Canales’s personal experiences in life.
Sofia is a young Mexican-American woman who was born and raised in McAllen, Texas. The Tequila Worm follows her life growing up in the barrio surrounded by her family and close friends who help mold her by teaching life lessons through stories. She is recognized as she excels in school and is offered a scholarship to an elite boarding school in Austin, Texas, 350 miles away from the only life she has ever known. The story describes how Sofia deals with family, religion, death, going away for school and bullies. It also describes how she built her own identity in the world and at the same time retained her Mexican-American culture and beliefs as she grew into a well-rounded young adult.
The Tequila Worm is full of so much love and emotion, but at the same time light-hearted and even humorous. Canales perfectly describes the bond between Sofia’s family members, especially her relationship with her papa, and her strong Mexican-American heritage. She captures the characters perfectly and not only makes them a memorable piece of the story but a part of your family as well. She did an excellent job and could not have chosen a better title for her book, you’ll just have to read to find out why.
I come from Mexican-American background but was raised in another state, away from some of the family that would have taught me many of these same beliefs. I enjoyed getting to understand the history behind the some of the culture I missed. I am also very close to my sisters and loved how Canales perfectly captured some of the moments that helped build a strong relationship between Sofia, her little sister, Lucy, and her cousin, Berta. Some of these moments included arguing and fighting like children often do, while others included genuinely happy, selflessness acts of love.
The Tequila Worm is an amazing book that children and adults of all ages can connect to. For children’s books, I give it two thumbs-up (because I only have two thumbs) and a five-star rating. It is a great book for Mexican-American readers to be able to connect to and at the same time, it can also educate non-Mexican-American readers. It offers humor, education, and the love of a family. It will help deepen the understanding of some of the Mexican-American family bonds, cultures, and beliefs and at the same time teach equality and help students have a better appreciation for their own education.
Sofia is a young Mexican-American woman who was born and raised in McAllen, Texas. The Tequila Worm follows her life growing up in the barrio surrounded by her family and close friends who help mold her by teaching life lessons through stories. She is recognized as she excels in school and is offered a scholarship to an elite boarding school in Austin, Texas, 350 miles away from the only life she has ever known. The story describes how Sofia deals with family, religion, death, going away for school and bullies. It also describes how she built her own identity in the world and at the same time retained her Mexican-American culture and beliefs as she grew into a well-rounded young adult.
The Tequila Worm is full of so much love and emotion, but at the same time light-hearted and even humorous. Canales perfectly describes the bond between Sofia’s family members, especially her relationship with her papa, and her strong Mexican-American heritage. She captures the characters perfectly and not only makes them a memorable piece of the story but a part of your family as well. She did an excellent job and could not have chosen a better title for her book, you’ll just have to read to find out why.
I come from Mexican-American background but was raised in another state, away from some of the family that would have taught me many of these same beliefs. I enjoyed getting to understand the history behind the some of the culture I missed. I am also very close to my sisters and loved how Canales perfectly captured some of the moments that helped build a strong relationship between Sofia, her little sister, Lucy, and her cousin, Berta. Some of these moments included arguing and fighting like children often do, while others included genuinely happy, selflessness acts of love.
The Tequila Worm is an amazing book that children and adults of all ages can connect to. For children’s books, I give it two thumbs-up (because I only have two thumbs) and a five-star rating. It is a great book for Mexican-American readers to be able to connect to and at the same time, it can also educate non-Mexican-American readers. It offers humor, education, and the love of a family. It will help deepen the understanding of some of the Mexican-American family bonds, cultures, and beliefs and at the same time teach equality and help students have a better appreciation for their own education.
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November 2, 2014***spoiler alert*** TW: family tragedy
The young Mexican-American, Sofia, lives in Texas in a close Mexican community. During her time at the elementary school, students call her “Taco Head”, which hurts her feelings. She wants to get revenge by surpassing the girl who invented the name in every subject. Because of her good results, Sofia is offered a scholarship into Saint Luke’s Episcopal School. She struggles to make her parents proud and to show them that it was the right decision to leave her community and to go to this school. Even with a family tragedy and an ever-changing world, the girl continues her journey to find her identity. This story will allow students to learn more about the Mexican cultural practices and language, as many Spanish words are used throughout the text. Students with a different cultural background are exposed to another world, but within experiences they make in their everyday life, which will support their understanding of this culture. Students with the same cultural background will easily identify with Sofia and her struggles, and might be able to use her strategies in their lives.
The young Mexican-American, Sofia, lives in Texas in a close Mexican community. During her time at the elementary school, students call her “Taco Head”, which hurts her feelings. She wants to get revenge by surpassing the girl who invented the name in every subject. Because of her good results, Sofia is offered a scholarship into Saint Luke’s Episcopal School. She struggles to make her parents proud and to show them that it was the right decision to leave her community and to go to this school. Even with a family tragedy and an ever-changing world, the girl continues her journey to find her identity. This story will allow students to learn more about the Mexican cultural practices and language, as many Spanish words are used throughout the text. Students with a different cultural background are exposed to another world, but within experiences they make in their everyday life, which will support their understanding of this culture. Students with the same cultural background will easily identify with Sofia and her struggles, and might be able to use her strategies in their lives.
August 5, 2015
Viola Canales grew up listening to stories and legends from her family. As a writer she has an excellent flair for depicting the culture she learned and the coming of age with wanderlust that she lived. Her semi-autobiographical account of a young girl leaning to be Chicana and yearning to go beyond her home is personal, poignant and very brief.
At times that brevity serves her well, keeping settings simple and indulging in the characters who built her world. At others, it comes across as a slighter version of Alexie's Part-Time Indian, with similar conflicts but sparser reflection and a muted teenage voice.
But ultimately whatever you hear in her voice is what you ought to hear. The diversity of young people in America may well confront similar challenges, but each will combat them and retell them in their own way. The point is not to seek "the best" but to appreciate all the stories you hear. Just like Canales herself
At times that brevity serves her well, keeping settings simple and indulging in the characters who built her world. At others, it comes across as a slighter version of Alexie's Part-Time Indian, with similar conflicts but sparser reflection and a muted teenage voice.
But ultimately whatever you hear in her voice is what you ought to hear. The diversity of young people in America may well confront similar challenges, but each will combat them and retell them in their own way. The point is not to seek "the best" but to appreciate all the stories you hear. Just like Canales herself
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April 10, 2017It took me awhile to get into this, and I do think a lot of the transitions in time period were poorly done. I am never a fan of "and then I got old and it turns out I was looking back on all this time and being wise for you, o young reader" stories, so the ending ruined it for me even if it was about theoretically interesting developments. Also, the repeated "cascarone" when it's a "cascarón" or multiple "cascarones" just made me crazy, along with the italicized Spanish and ridiculous overexplained redundancies, like "cheese quesadillas" (as opposed to what, exactly?). I don't believe in coddling English speakers during their jaunts of literary cultural tourism.
Aaaaaanyway, once the story became more of a story and less a series of episodes happening at inconsistent jumps in time, I liked it just fine. I always love a boarding school story, and this one did a nice job of being odd-kid-out without having a bunch of clichés, and it was nice to have it not be about white culture.
Aaaaaanyway, once the story became more of a story and less a series of episodes happening at inconsistent jumps in time, I liked it just fine. I always love a boarding school story, and this one did a nice job of being odd-kid-out without having a bunch of clichés, and it was nice to have it not be about white culture.
October 1, 2013
This was cute story. I would recommend it to any student looking for a book that embodies a culturally rich Mexican American family.
Sofia's family believe in the old ways. Theirs was a time of small safe neighborhoods with parks and plaza's where communal gatherings were commonplace. Her mother wants her to be a good comadre (friend)to her peers and social circle. Momma thinks this will help Sofia when she is older and married with children of her own. When Sofia is offered the chance to attend a prestigious private high school in Austin Texas for academically gifted students, her family resist the change. To attend, Sofia must also come up with $700 (that her family does not have) and come up with 5 dresses (for formal dinners at the private school). Sofia learns a lot about being a comadre and uses the resources available to her to make her deepest wish come true.
Sofia's family believe in the old ways. Theirs was a time of small safe neighborhoods with parks and plaza's where communal gatherings were commonplace. Her mother wants her to be a good comadre (friend)to her peers and social circle. Momma thinks this will help Sofia when she is older and married with children of her own. When Sofia is offered the chance to attend a prestigious private high school in Austin Texas for academically gifted students, her family resist the change. To attend, Sofia must also come up with $700 (that her family does not have) and come up with 5 dresses (for formal dinners at the private school). Sofia learns a lot about being a comadre and uses the resources available to her to make her deepest wish come true.
May 28, 2014
I'll be the first to admit I was drawn into this book at the library by the bold colors and cover design. I was looking for a light read but I didn't know I selected one with so much heart. In esssence, this is a coming of age story set in McAllen, TX where the author is from. It was a wonderful look into Mexican culture as well as reading secondhand how it feels to explore your own culture (typical American). There are some very touching scenes among Sophia, the main character, and her family & friends. I'm not ashamed to say I even shed a few tears at the conclusion of the story, just touchingly written. The cover of the book tells me this is the author's first novel but I hope it's not to be her last. She received the Pura Belpre Award for this which is an annual award for the best celebration of Latino culture in works for youth. Well done.
October 25, 2015
This is the second story I've known about the Mexicans. The first was a movie called "The Book of Life" which I enjoyed immensely, in part because of their rich and wonderful culture and also because Mexicans are great at being humans.
Everything about them is colorful and vibrant and I just wanna spend my Halloween in Mexico. The way they view death with not just weeping but celebrating the life of a person and with the belief of them coming together again someday warms my heart.
And this book! Wow. I love this book. I love how it was written, I love how Viola introduces information like the reader is already familiar with what the author is trying to convey. I would very much fancy it if I could jump in one of the pages and eat those beans myself! Maybe even the tequila worm, to rid of this homesickness. It was awesome!
Everything about them is colorful and vibrant and I just wanna spend my Halloween in Mexico. The way they view death with not just weeping but celebrating the life of a person and with the belief of them coming together again someday warms my heart.
And this book! Wow. I love this book. I love how it was written, I love how Viola introduces information like the reader is already familiar with what the author is trying to convey. I would very much fancy it if I could jump in one of the pages and eat those beans myself! Maybe even the tequila worm, to rid of this homesickness. It was awesome!
January 22, 2015
Truly lovely depiction of family memories described vividly and with love. It made me nostalgic for 1960's culture with the covered plastic furniture and close-knit communities. A warm tribute to time, place, and culture. A particularly favorite scene comes when Sofia cleans and cooks pinto beans with her Papa.
Favorite passages:
p. 198 for now I understood that it was not an obsession with death that Mexicans had after all, but rather an acceptance of it--woven like a thick vine throughout our lives, helping us transcend death itself and compelling us to live even richer, more meaningful lives."
p.56 "part of learning to become a good comadre is learning how to feel happiness, especially after life gets tricky."
Favorite passages:
p. 198 for now I understood that it was not an obsession with death that Mexicans had after all, but rather an acceptance of it--woven like a thick vine throughout our lives, helping us transcend death itself and compelling us to live even richer, more meaningful lives."
p.56 "part of learning to become a good comadre is learning how to feel happiness, especially after life gets tricky."
March 22, 2017
The district provided this book for my classroom library. I was a bit worried about the title because it mentions alcohol. However, I was pleasantly surprised.
I have to admit bias. I grew up in McAllen so I waxed nostalgic as I read.
The author previously wrote short stories. Some of the book read as short stories with the chapters related only by the characters. It felt disjointed. However, that may be because the author was using the storyteller's format.
I was very glad to see a Hispanic novel which was not magical/mystical realism. Although spiritual practices were talked about, they weren't the focus of the story.
I don't know how popular this book will be but I'll put it on my shelves happily. The only problem I see is the underage drinking.
I have to admit bias. I grew up in McAllen so I waxed nostalgic as I read.
The author previously wrote short stories. Some of the book read as short stories with the chapters related only by the characters. It felt disjointed. However, that may be because the author was using the storyteller's format.
I was very glad to see a Hispanic novel which was not magical/mystical realism. Although spiritual practices were talked about, they weren't the focus of the story.
I don't know how popular this book will be but I'll put it on my shelves happily. The only problem I see is the underage drinking.
November 25, 2015
The Tequila Worm is the story of Sofia, who has always lived in the barrio with her family, together they practice different traditions such as making cascarones for Easter, celebrating el Dia de los Muertos, and planning quinceañeras. After being called “Taco Head” in elementary school, Sofia strives to become smarter than those who made fun of her. After being offered a scholarship for a boarding school, Sofia goes to the school and continues her adventure. I enjoyed this book since it offers an insightful look at the mexican-american culture. Since I’m also mexican-american, yet practice these traditions differently with my family, I enjoyed seeing how Sofia and her family practiced them. In conclusion, I would recommend this book for people who are interested in different cultures.
December 21, 2015
Canales, V. (2007). The Tequila Worm. New York: Wendy Lamb Books.
Genre: Fiction
Sofia is a very smart girl who didn’t grow up with a lot of material things. She dreams of going to a boarding school and getting the best education she can. One day her dream comes true when she wins a scholarship to attend the school she always hoped to go to. Now Sophia must make a difficult decision, leave her loving home,culture,family and friends for a great education.
I would use this book to talk to students about education around the world and how some children do not have the privilege to go to school every day like children in the United States do.
Genre: Fiction
Sofia is a very smart girl who didn’t grow up with a lot of material things. She dreams of going to a boarding school and getting the best education she can. One day her dream comes true when she wins a scholarship to attend the school she always hoped to go to. Now Sophia must make a difficult decision, leave her loving home,culture,family and friends for a great education.
I would use this book to talk to students about education around the world and how some children do not have the privilege to go to school every day like children in the United States do.
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October 9, 2016I thought the book was interesting because of how this girl named Sofia wants to move up from living in a cold house with no heating to living in a nice neighborhood. But the only way she can be in a nice area like that is to leave her family to go to a new school that is far away and she had to get good grades to get an opportunity into that school. And she wants that but she also wants to learn how to be a good comadre, which is what her family wants her to be. And she found out how to be a good comadre by not only accepting her heritage but loving it.
November 29, 2017
This book was pretty short so I didn't expect much from it but it actually was quite interesting. It showed the story of a little girl of Hispanic roots and how she overcame her challenges. I enjoyed the storyline and thought that for the length the characters were pretty well developed although, I would have liked to see a little more conflict. This was a very heartwarming story and I also liked how Canales tied in Catholic and hispanic traditions. Over all, this book was pretty good and I would recommend it to someone that might want a quicker read.
November 29, 2017
The Tequila Worm is about a girl and her family always telling stories. For example, the tequila worm is known as the care for everyone. from viewing the first few chapters, it looked like it was going to be a story each chapter, but it then turned out to be one big story. After reading this book, I found out that some of the stories in this book are based on real historical Hispanic stories.
July 25, 2017
This novel was great. Being someone who grew up on the border just as Viola Canales, I can relate to the tales in the book. The book shows the younger crowd can reflect on because it shows what they might be going through. They can use it to cope and know they are not alone.
September 26, 2017
Read this when I was about the characters age. So wonderful to connect with someone on the pages- who understood a Chicana's life and how she fits with the rest of the world.
June 30, 2018
Notice this was a book I started way back in October and then paused. While it is only 199 pages it is rich with history about living and creating traditions in the barrio in McAllen, Texas. It is a story about a girl who at first is embarrassed by her community’s lack of wealth and “silly rituals”. This story is filled with rich Mexican traditions found within the family. I enjoyed very much learning how family is everything to them and that neighbors and friends are too. I think our suburban “barrios” could take a few tips or two on creating community. My favorite quote in the story comes when a “white” privileged teen writes a note seething with xenophobia and Sophia replies, “...my family didn’t cross the border; it crossed us. We’ve been here for over three hundred years, before the U.S. drew those lines.” This is also a story of overcoming obstacles and working harder for what you want in life to show all the naysayers that you can. A great story for ELs who need the nudge to appreciate their heritage as well as others who should learn and appreciate other cultures.
September 25, 2023
Told in the first person this Bildungsroman starts with childlike impressions of home and family. Sofia’s impressions and narration matures as she grows into the milieu of her Mexican-American family and barrio in McAllen, Texas. In Sofia’s Rio Grande Valley neighborhood, the expectation is for her to become one of the comadres, someone who is part of the group of friends and relatives who help others members achieve their desires. You do not do this in isolation. She is expected to participate in helping others give birth to their goals, and in return they will help her hers.
These are character traits that are great aids to her when the scholarly Sofia wins a scholarship to a prestigious Episcopal prep school in far north Austin, Texas, two-hundred-eighty-three miles, nine hours away from her home and friends by bus. And one of only three Tejanos among hundreds of upper class Anglo students.
It’s a marvelously inspiring work by Canales who lived the same experience.
These are character traits that are great aids to her when the scholarly Sofia wins a scholarship to a prestigious Episcopal prep school in far north Austin, Texas, two-hundred-eighty-three miles, nine hours away from her home and friends by bus. And one of only three Tejanos among hundreds of upper class Anglo students.
It’s a marvelously inspiring work by Canales who lived the same experience.
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