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Francisco #3
Reaching Out
From the perspective of the young adult he was then, Francisco Jiménez describes the challenges he faced in his efforts to continue his education.
During his college years, the very family solidarity that allowed Francisco to survive as a child is tested. Not only must he leave his family behind when he goes to Santa Clara University, but while Francisco is there, his father abandons the family and returns to Mexico. This is the story of how Francisco coped with poverty, with his guilt over leaving his family financially strapped, with his self-doubt about succeeding academically, and with separation. Once again his telling is honest, true, and inspiring.
During his college years, the very family solidarity that allowed Francisco to survive as a child is tested. Not only must he leave his family behind when he goes to Santa Clara University, but while Francisco is there, his father abandons the family and returns to Mexico. This is the story of how Francisco coped with poverty, with his guilt over leaving his family financially strapped, with his self-doubt about succeeding academically, and with separation. Once again his telling is honest, true, and inspiring.
200 pages, Hardcover
First published August 25, 2008
115 people are currently reading
1028 people want to read
About the author
Francisco Jiménez
85 books219 followersFrancisco Jimenez emigrated from Tlaquepaque, Mexico, to California, where he worked for many years in the fields with his family. He received both his master's degree and his Ph.D. from Columbia University and is now chairman of the Modern Languages and Literature Department at Santa Clara University, the setting of much of Reaching Out. He is the award-winning author of The Circuit, Breaking Through, La Mariposa, and his newest memoir, Reaching Out. He lives in Santa Clara, California, with his family.
Author photo courtesy of Santa Clara University.
Author photo courtesy of Santa Clara University.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 147 reviews
April 17, 2021
I read this book in Spanish and I think this series is fantastic for the intermediate Spanish learner. Or the English version could be good for intermediate English learners who are native Spanish speakers. There really isn't a lot of good material for language learners at this level--children's literature is often dull for adults, while adult literature is far too difficult, and leveled readers written for language learners tend to be overly simplistic.
The books in this series are the only things I've read so far in Spanish that I felt truly invested in, where I felt sucked in by the story. The book is written at a 5th-6th grade level, with vocabulary and grammar that is not overly complex, but enough to be challenging to an intermediate learner, and the story is compelling even for adults. In fact this book, the third in the series, concerns Francisco's college experience, which is likely to be more appealing to adults than to the children this was written for. It's a deeply personal story about his struggles to succeed in college as a first generation immigrant student coming from poverty, while bearing the load of having to continue to support his family and his guilt at leaving them. It was also an interesting portrait of California in the 1960s. It's easy to empathize with Francisco and be inspired by his story, even though at times he seems almost too perfect. It's heartwarming the kindness he is shown by so many people, which is what basically allowed him to pursue an advanced degree and escape poverty. Even though the 4th book is not available in Spanish, I still want to read it to find out more about his graduate school experience and see what happened to his family.
The books in this series are the only things I've read so far in Spanish that I felt truly invested in, where I felt sucked in by the story. The book is written at a 5th-6th grade level, with vocabulary and grammar that is not overly complex, but enough to be challenging to an intermediate learner, and the story is compelling even for adults. In fact this book, the third in the series, concerns Francisco's college experience, which is likely to be more appealing to adults than to the children this was written for. It's a deeply personal story about his struggles to succeed in college as a first generation immigrant student coming from poverty, while bearing the load of having to continue to support his family and his guilt at leaving them. It was also an interesting portrait of California in the 1960s. It's easy to empathize with Francisco and be inspired by his story, even though at times he seems almost too perfect. It's heartwarming the kindness he is shown by so many people, which is what basically allowed him to pursue an advanced degree and escape poverty. Even though the 4th book is not available in Spanish, I still want to read it to find out more about his graduate school experience and see what happened to his family.
June 10, 2025
This is the third book in a series of four in which the author, Francisco Jiménez, describes his life as a migrant child in a family of itinerant agricultural workers.
The first two books chronicle his difficult childhood and the inherent obstacles he faced in trying to succeed in a system in which he did not speak the language and was continually missing school due to his family's need to follow the work wherever it took them.
In this third book, Francisco transitions to college. The challenges there are also very real and exacerbated because of his culture and his sense of obligation to care for his impoverished family.
I am so glad that I found these books. Having learned a second language myself, I know how difficult that is and what a stumbling block it would be for a child trying to get through school. This book, like the previous two, uplifted me and encouraged me.
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June 10, 2025: My second reading. My Spanish reading skills are improving splendidly thanks to my consistent daily reading of a few pages of books like this one. Unfortunately, reading ability does not entirely correlate to conversational ability.
The first two books chronicle his difficult childhood and the inherent obstacles he faced in trying to succeed in a system in which he did not speak the language and was continually missing school due to his family's need to follow the work wherever it took them.
In this third book, Francisco transitions to college. The challenges there are also very real and exacerbated because of his culture and his sense of obligation to care for his impoverished family.
I am so glad that I found these books. Having learned a second language myself, I know how difficult that is and what a stumbling block it would be for a child trying to get through school. This book, like the previous two, uplifted me and encouraged me.
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June 10, 2025: My second reading. My Spanish reading skills are improving splendidly thanks to my consistent daily reading of a few pages of books like this one. Unfortunately, reading ability does not entirely correlate to conversational ability.
October 12, 2025
The third of a four-book memoir, Reaching Out focuses on Francisco's early adulthood as he navigates the confusing world of college. Very much attached to his family, the admission letter to a university was too much for his family to pass up on the opportunity. Francisco, now going by his Americanized name, Frank; tries to focus more on his academics, in hopes of improving himself from his struggles in high school. And during breaks in the school year, he would return home to do small jobs for money that he would give his family. Frank soon starts to develop his own social life, but hits a fork when he learns that his father left his family to go back to Mexico. Now Frank has to figure out how to help out his family while keeping up his academic studies.
Similar to his first two autobiographical novels, Reaching Out recounts his experience in attending college as even more major life events impact the way he sees the world. And as a first generation to go to college from a migrant family, the conflict between learning to adapt & family roots become a major focus point. Francisco took pride in his heritage, but he couldn't believe the amount of discrimination he would see as a young adult. Additionally, his guilt in "abandoning" his family for education is another focal point and he goes back and forth in between thinking about quitting school and looking for new jobs. One major point I thoroughly enjoyed when reading Reaching Out is how his academic professors, and even his part-time employers, all did major contributions to Francisco's outlook and education that he was able to get another acceptance to Colombia University. It's really touching to know the bond between students & their teachers, and how they can be very influential figures. Francisco's story is a story that is shared by many people who come from migrant families and how their families sacrificed so much to allow their children to get the best upbringing they can.
Similar to his first two autobiographical novels, Reaching Out recounts his experience in attending college as even more major life events impact the way he sees the world. And as a first generation to go to college from a migrant family, the conflict between learning to adapt & family roots become a major focus point. Francisco took pride in his heritage, but he couldn't believe the amount of discrimination he would see as a young adult. Additionally, his guilt in "abandoning" his family for education is another focal point and he goes back and forth in between thinking about quitting school and looking for new jobs. One major point I thoroughly enjoyed when reading Reaching Out is how his academic professors, and even his part-time employers, all did major contributions to Francisco's outlook and education that he was able to get another acceptance to Colombia University. It's really touching to know the bond between students & their teachers, and how they can be very influential figures. Francisco's story is a story that is shared by many people who come from migrant families and how their families sacrificed so much to allow their children to get the best upbringing they can.
June 28, 2017
Darn. After the excellent offerings of the author's first two books, this one fell flat. Reaching Out covers Francisco's college years, and perhaps I expected his writing to evolve in step with his life, but it feels stuck in the middle/high school range - character development is pretty well non-existent, and this is another book that suffers from excessive description - I groaned out loud when I read "she stroked my left cheek with her right hand" - did we need right/left established?? I think not. Most of the chapters lacked the well-written expression of thought that made The Circuit and Breaking Through so poignant, and the few that were included were those from his earlier years, and feel almost out of place here.
Lastly, one particular chapter ("It Didn't Fit") in particular smacked of ingratitude? entitlement? rudeness? I can't put my finger on why it bothered me, since I do believe Francisco is a grateful, good soul, but the chapter set my teeth on edge. Overall, it felt as if these chapters were hastily written in between classes during those university years, not crafted years later by an author with many years of writing experience under his belt. I still can't help but be happy for him as he continues his achievements through the college years and beyond, and I do think this book will be rightfully inspiring to many young people, but it definitely isn't his best work.
Lastly, one particular chapter ("It Didn't Fit") in particular smacked of ingratitude? entitlement? rudeness? I can't put my finger on why it bothered me, since I do believe Francisco is a grateful, good soul, but the chapter set my teeth on edge. Overall, it felt as if these chapters were hastily written in between classes during those university years, not crafted years later by an author with many years of writing experience under his belt. I still can't help but be happy for him as he continues his achievements through the college years and beyond, and I do think this book will be rightfully inspiring to many young people, but it definitely isn't his best work.
September 29, 2018
A continuation of the series, just as endearing as the previous books. I enjoy the raw, almost innocent emotions of Francisco and that his family is very tender with each other in expressing their love. I also like his devotion to his faith and that he is not afraid to openly believe. My favorite quote: “The struggle is as important as finding the answer.” I think that perfectly describes his challenges and how they helped shape his success.
September 27, 2019
Thoughtful biography of an impoverished dreamer who achieved status, success, and happiness through hard work and constant faith. I am reading this 2008 book now, in 2019, because my Spanish II teacher assigned it in Spanish (which is taking a LOT LONGER than I expected...but I could not stop reading it in English!). Frankly, reading it in the current climate brings the entire migrant worker experience into better focus. Now I am going to read a scholarly work by his son, Tomás Jiménez,
The Other Side of Assimilation: How Immigrants Are Changing American Life.
The Other Side of Assimilation: How Immigrants Are Changing American Life.
September 29, 2014
Reaching Out is a fascinating historical fiction book. It contains many interesting details about the lives of poor Mexican people and how they were treated by wealthy people during the 1960s. It's hard to say that there's a protagonist in the book, but the main character, Francisco Jimenez, would be the closest to a protagonist. This book has a fast pace due to its short length and inspiring style of writing that makes you feel determined to exceed what is expected of you.
In this book, I admired Francisco's constant battle with himself to decide whether he should've stayed home instead of leaving his family and going to college. This battle shows how important family was to him and how important it was during that time. Family was all a lot of poor people had, and Francisco is the kind of person with a sense of duty to his family, friends, and all the people he cared for. Throughout the book, I saw many examples of his loyalty and honor. I especially saw this when he would return home for holidays. Francisco would work long days because of his father's injury and drinking problem. Day after day, he faced many difficulties that affected him throughout the book. However, his loyalty never failed.
In conclusion, Francisco's story is a great one. He faced many obstacles that would have made even the strongest people give up, but he didn't. It might have taken Francisco four years of college, but he did reach his dreams. This book gets five stars from me. It is rare for me to pick up a book and not want to put it down for anything.
In this book, I admired Francisco's constant battle with himself to decide whether he should've stayed home instead of leaving his family and going to college. This battle shows how important family was to him and how important it was during that time. Family was all a lot of poor people had, and Francisco is the kind of person with a sense of duty to his family, friends, and all the people he cared for. Throughout the book, I saw many examples of his loyalty and honor. I especially saw this when he would return home for holidays. Francisco would work long days because of his father's injury and drinking problem. Day after day, he faced many difficulties that affected him throughout the book. However, his loyalty never failed.
In conclusion, Francisco's story is a great one. He faced many obstacles that would have made even the strongest people give up, but he didn't. It might have taken Francisco four years of college, but he did reach his dreams. This book gets five stars from me. It is rare for me to pick up a book and not want to put it down for anything.
May 17, 2019
it was a good book
May 7, 2012
Jennica Munden
Biography
Critical analysis: We are pulled in from the very beginning with a fascinating and well-written tale to which we can all relate in some respects, even as we learn more than a few things about the life of Mexican-American immigrants and their struggle to break out of the desperate situation for which they came here, while still remaining close to their families.
Opinions: It is a beautiful and moving story that I could not put down and was caught up in the moment that I opened the book.
Summary: It is a tale written by the author, Francisco Jiménez, as he tells us the story of how he strove to be something more, and to gain a greater education than anyone in his family has previously had. We follow him through his thoughts at this time, and how he perceived the world. We watch as he struggles to remove himself to pursue an education with the support of his family, even as he yearns to be with that family. We observe his experiences and the help and struggles that got him through, taught him a wealth of lessons, and/or hindered him along the way.
Biography
Critical analysis: We are pulled in from the very beginning with a fascinating and well-written tale to which we can all relate in some respects, even as we learn more than a few things about the life of Mexican-American immigrants and their struggle to break out of the desperate situation for which they came here, while still remaining close to their families.
Opinions: It is a beautiful and moving story that I could not put down and was caught up in the moment that I opened the book.
Summary: It is a tale written by the author, Francisco Jiménez, as he tells us the story of how he strove to be something more, and to gain a greater education than anyone in his family has previously had. We follow him through his thoughts at this time, and how he perceived the world. We watch as he struggles to remove himself to pursue an education with the support of his family, even as he yearns to be with that family. We observe his experiences and the help and struggles that got him through, taught him a wealth of lessons, and/or hindered him along the way.
March 18, 2009
This is an interesting biography of Francisco Jimenez's college years. Dr. Jimenez grew up as part of a migrant working family that came from Mexico. It was a tremendous accomplishment for him to earn the money, grades and scholarships to go to college. Despite this, Dr. Jimenez felt some guilt as he earned good grades throughout college, because he also wondered whether he should be with his family helping take care of them. Dr. Jimenez graduated college, and earned another scholarship that started him on the path to graduate school. He eventually earned his PhD also.
While interesting, and very inspiring, I found this book to be written slightly simplistically. It is meant for young adults, but I'm don't think that's why it seemed so simplistic to me. It felt almost dispassionate, though I'm very sure that's not what the author intended.
While interesting, and very inspiring, I found this book to be written slightly simplistically. It is meant for young adults, but I'm don't think that's why it seemed so simplistic to me. It felt almost dispassionate, though I'm very sure that's not what the author intended.
March 18, 2016
I liked this book because it was a real story and actually happened to that Author. Also, because he is a migrant child and my parents are too. It was about a boy who didn't have a lot of money and that he had to work with his family and they were going through lots of problems and he had to face lots of challenges during school because he didn't know English. He got to go to college and didn't get too see his family for a while. I recommend this book to everyone because everyone needs to know how hard it is to be a migrant child without knowing nothing and without money. Also, because they need to see how he didn't have lot's of clothes, shoes, and supplies for his school so he had to work so everyone could see that it is hard to earn something also that it is a really sad happy very emotional and I liked how he had lots of specific details.
May 22, 2011
This is the third book Francisco Jimenez wrote about his life, and it covers his time spent at college. Of the three books, this was my least favorite. I felt like, by now, much of the story was redundant. It's good to see that Francisco's struggles didn't disappear over night, and how his family was still important, even when he was away. On the other hand, I feel his college experiences, religious experiences, and personal struggles are less accessible to younger readers.
Themes in this book are the importance of education, family, and sacrifice, like the books before. However, Reaching Out also has messages about helping others and having self-confidence.
Themes in this book are the importance of education, family, and sacrifice, like the books before. However, Reaching Out also has messages about helping others and having self-confidence.
July 18, 2016
In reaching out it is the third book in Francisco Jimenez life. He describe how he feels when he leaves his struggling family behind to go to college.
This book was very inspiring because it goes to show that no matter how hard life can be anybody can do better if you just believe. It showed how Francisco who came from Mexico with Spanish being his primary language struggled but he never gave up. He applied to college and got in and how he made it through his first 4 years of college. So good a must read for everyone!
This book was very inspiring because it goes to show that no matter how hard life can be anybody can do better if you just believe. It showed how Francisco who came from Mexico with Spanish being his primary language struggled but he never gave up. He applied to college and got in and how he made it through his first 4 years of college. So good a must read for everyone!
August 10, 2009
Third book in the series. I loved them all but I think this one was my very favorite because I loved seeing him really start to excel and become his own person. Very inspiring, I would love to meet him someday. He teaches Modern Languages and Literature at Santa Clara University.
December 8, 2020
I believe every new immigrant feels excited and anxious when they first come to America. When I arrived at this unfamiliar place, I couldn’t understand what people said; I couldn’t deal with things that were so easy in my native country, and I was so far away from my family. I had a lot of questions: Can I get a good job? Can I get a better life? Can I make new friends? Can I assimilate into American society?
“Reaching Out” is an excellent book that can help new immigrants to rebuild self-confidence and tell us how to get a better life in America. It is an autobiographical novel and was published in 2008. This novel is the third in a series of four novels. The author, Francisco Jimenez, was a college student from an immigrant Mexican family of migrants. His family illegally immigrated from Mexico when he was four years old. They were working from dawn to dusk, seven days a week. Francisco had to less study for a few months one year to work helping his family. However, he is a successful professor working at Santa Clara University because of his intelligence and hard work.
This novel describes Francisco‘s life in the community of his alma mater, Santa Clara University, His classmates, his professors, his soulmate, and his experience of participating join a pilgrimage to Sacramento. In this period something happened in his family. Two times he wanted to give up his education to support his family. Fortunately, his professor convinced him not to do it and gave him some assistance. He worked hard and got some help from his professors in the university, so he won the Woodrow Wilson Fellowship for the academic year 1966-1967. Finally, he attended Columbia University which led to a college teaching career. In addition, he had a moral obligation to fight for social justice because of his younger experience and his education at Santa Clara University.
Reading this novel gave me a lot of confidence. It tells me, everyone, if we honest, loyal, and faithful, studies hard, and work hard, we all can get a good life in America. Our dream will be true. For this reason, I think “Reaching Out” is an excellent autobiographical novel and recommend it to both new immigrants and native Americans.
“Reaching Out” is an excellent book that can help new immigrants to rebuild self-confidence and tell us how to get a better life in America. It is an autobiographical novel and was published in 2008. This novel is the third in a series of four novels. The author, Francisco Jimenez, was a college student from an immigrant Mexican family of migrants. His family illegally immigrated from Mexico when he was four years old. They were working from dawn to dusk, seven days a week. Francisco had to less study for a few months one year to work helping his family. However, he is a successful professor working at Santa Clara University because of his intelligence and hard work.
This novel describes Francisco‘s life in the community of his alma mater, Santa Clara University, His classmates, his professors, his soulmate, and his experience of participating join a pilgrimage to Sacramento. In this period something happened in his family. Two times he wanted to give up his education to support his family. Fortunately, his professor convinced him not to do it and gave him some assistance. He worked hard and got some help from his professors in the university, so he won the Woodrow Wilson Fellowship for the academic year 1966-1967. Finally, he attended Columbia University which led to a college teaching career. In addition, he had a moral obligation to fight for social justice because of his younger experience and his education at Santa Clara University.
Reading this novel gave me a lot of confidence. It tells me, everyone, if we honest, loyal, and faithful, studies hard, and work hard, we all can get a good life in America. Our dream will be true. For this reason, I think “Reaching Out” is an excellent autobiographical novel and recommend it to both new immigrants and native Americans.
June 16, 2019
Pretty interesting to read about what college was like in the 60s.
- They had dorm rules, quiet times, and curfews?? I think that was because it was a Catholic school.
- The hazing. It's interesting that he completely opts out, but Smokey is fine with it.
- Mandatory ROTC. Wow, I bet it's been a long time since that was in place.
The other thing that struck me was how absolutely devastated his family was when his father left. His father was fault-finding, short-tempered, rigid, acting strange and at times abusive, and wasn't earning money. I guess it would be traumatic for a close-knit family to be separated, but I would have expected the family to experience some relief when such a source of tension left. It also didn't entirely make sense to me why the author was going to drop out of college because his father left. His family wasn't (I don't think) in economically worse shape than before. So he was going to go home to provide more moral support? I guess it's just a matter of what the culture emphasizes. For the people I know, education trumps everything.
The short sentences and descriptions got to me - when he was talking about slaving for a week on his first paper and Smokey wrote it in half an evening, I was completely expecting that Smokey was going to plagiarize his paper. Guess not.
Can't believe he met somebody who was born in 1875! But I guess that was the sixties. Did people really cry when JFK was shot?
The other thing I was thinking about - their family works so hard during all three books. I feel like for other people that I've read about, by the time they have worked that hard for twenty years, they are doing quite a bit better and they have gone up in the world a lot. I guess being a janitor is much better than working in the fields, but the family still doesn't have money to spare and they are working just as hard. Presumably when the author graduates from Columbia and gets a job as a professor, things start looking up for his family.
- They had dorm rules, quiet times, and curfews?? I think that was because it was a Catholic school.
- The hazing. It's interesting that he completely opts out, but Smokey is fine with it.
- Mandatory ROTC. Wow, I bet it's been a long time since that was in place.
The other thing that struck me was how absolutely devastated his family was when his father left. His father was fault-finding, short-tempered, rigid, acting strange and at times abusive, and wasn't earning money. I guess it would be traumatic for a close-knit family to be separated, but I would have expected the family to experience some relief when such a source of tension left. It also didn't entirely make sense to me why the author was going to drop out of college because his father left. His family wasn't (I don't think) in economically worse shape than before. So he was going to go home to provide more moral support? I guess it's just a matter of what the culture emphasizes. For the people I know, education trumps everything.
The short sentences and descriptions got to me - when he was talking about slaving for a week on his first paper and Smokey wrote it in half an evening, I was completely expecting that Smokey was going to plagiarize his paper. Guess not.
Can't believe he met somebody who was born in 1875! But I guess that was the sixties. Did people really cry when JFK was shot?
The other thing I was thinking about - their family works so hard during all three books. I feel like for other people that I've read about, by the time they have worked that hard for twenty years, they are doing quite a bit better and they have gone up in the world a lot. I guess being a janitor is much better than working in the fields, but the family still doesn't have money to spare and they are working just as hard. Presumably when the author graduates from Columbia and gets a job as a professor, things start looking up for his family.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 15, 2021
I get that this book is middle grade and can also appreciate that this book is autobiographical and Jimenez has written other works that chronicle the struggles of growing up in poverty and as an immigrant in the mid-twentieth century, but I just did not love this. Yes, it is for middle schoolers but seemed to be so little emotion in this that it actually read a bit like a bad application to a job interview for me.
As I was reading this, I was teaching the idea of respect. In fact, Jimenez’s father says early on that you should “Be respectful. If you respect others, they will respect you.” This idea of respect was present at the start of this coming of age, going-away-from-home story but the second half was so episodic that it was hard to track these ideas. I get that this is real life, that Jimenez experienced this, but at the same time, an autobiography should explore larger themes that impacted the individual and this seemed devoid of that. The author, despite his hardship and poverty, actually ended up sounding like he was extremely lucky, privileged and handed a bunch of accolades and opportunities from a lot of white people that were conveniently and benevolently in his life. Not a lot of focus is placed on his own grit or his own conflicting emotions, and immigrant guilt, and certainly all of his instances of facing disrespect gets downplayed. Jimenez didn’t have to focus on that but this is a story solely without conflict.
Life just happens to him and it turns out to be a good life. I wish there was more to this story than what we were offered, so I cannot recommend this book even for middle grade readers.
As I was reading this, I was teaching the idea of respect. In fact, Jimenez’s father says early on that you should “Be respectful. If you respect others, they will respect you.” This idea of respect was present at the start of this coming of age, going-away-from-home story but the second half was so episodic that it was hard to track these ideas. I get that this is real life, that Jimenez experienced this, but at the same time, an autobiography should explore larger themes that impacted the individual and this seemed devoid of that. The author, despite his hardship and poverty, actually ended up sounding like he was extremely lucky, privileged and handed a bunch of accolades and opportunities from a lot of white people that were conveniently and benevolently in his life. Not a lot of focus is placed on his own grit or his own conflicting emotions, and immigrant guilt, and certainly all of his instances of facing disrespect gets downplayed. Jimenez didn’t have to focus on that but this is a story solely without conflict.
Life just happens to him and it turns out to be a good life. I wish there was more to this story than what we were offered, so I cannot recommend this book even for middle grade readers.
June 10, 2019
¡Contenido revelado!
Más allá de mí es un libro corto sobre la vida de un estudiante mexicano americano de la primera generación en la universidad de Santa Clara. Todo el rato, Francisco Jiménez, el autor y protagonista, crecía en sus luchas de identidad y capacidades. Él tuvo que equilibrar sus estudias, trabajo, y responsabilidad de ayudar a su familia mientras quedando fiel a sus valores. El libro tiene muchos temas como la justicia porque Francisco marchó con César Chávez en su manifestación de Delano a Sacramento. Esto tema es muy importante para enfrentar los problemas en sociedad y injusticias que pueda tener y inspirar los lectores a tomar acciones contra injusticia social. La justicia es muy importante en la Universidad, entonces y ahora, porque los estudiantes aprenden más sobre el mundo que solamente sí mismo. Yo soy una estudiante universitaria y cuando yo leía este libro, sentí muy conectada a las experiencias del autor. Si hubiera sido una estudiante al mismo tiempo, habría querido ser una amiga de Francisco por su trabajo duro y perseverancia. Pienso que el libro sea un libro ideal para los estudiantes de nivel intermedio porque su escritura es clara pero proveer una oportunidad de ampliar el conocimiento del vocabulario y gramática. Es perfecto para estudiantes de la Universidad porque estamos pasando por experiencias similares como las de Francisco Jiménez. Tambien, ojala que los otros lectores aprendan la importancia de entender a otras vidas y experiencias.
Más allá de mí es un libro corto sobre la vida de un estudiante mexicano americano de la primera generación en la universidad de Santa Clara. Todo el rato, Francisco Jiménez, el autor y protagonista, crecía en sus luchas de identidad y capacidades. Él tuvo que equilibrar sus estudias, trabajo, y responsabilidad de ayudar a su familia mientras quedando fiel a sus valores. El libro tiene muchos temas como la justicia porque Francisco marchó con César Chávez en su manifestación de Delano a Sacramento. Esto tema es muy importante para enfrentar los problemas en sociedad y injusticias que pueda tener y inspirar los lectores a tomar acciones contra injusticia social. La justicia es muy importante en la Universidad, entonces y ahora, porque los estudiantes aprenden más sobre el mundo que solamente sí mismo. Yo soy una estudiante universitaria y cuando yo leía este libro, sentí muy conectada a las experiencias del autor. Si hubiera sido una estudiante al mismo tiempo, habría querido ser una amiga de Francisco por su trabajo duro y perseverancia. Pienso que el libro sea un libro ideal para los estudiantes de nivel intermedio porque su escritura es clara pero proveer una oportunidad de ampliar el conocimiento del vocabulario y gramática. Es perfecto para estudiantes de la Universidad porque estamos pasando por experiencias similares como las de Francisco Jiménez. Tambien, ojala que los otros lectores aprendan la importancia de entender a otras vidas y experiencias.
June 5, 2025
I’ve been reading Francisco’s books to my students and have enjoyed sharing his important story with them. The content of his books is relatable to some and builds empathy for all. The main issue I had with this book, in particular, was the amount of specific names the author used. He referred to all the places on campus by their full titles, and often used last names when referring to the people he encountered. This made the reading very choppy and took away from the storyline; he did this in the other books, too, but college life in Francisco’s era is very abstract for middle schoolers, so the details didn’t add anything but confusion to the narrative. Furthermore, the books are sequels of each other, but can also be read as stand-alones. Because of this, there are A LOT of repeated stories so, by the third book, my students had heard much of the content again and again. Overall, I think the first two books are more engaging, while the third book requires a lot of patience. The writing style and the content found me frequently stopping and explaining to make sure the kids were still on board. To end on a positive note, my students were highly engaged with Francisco’s honesty and vulnerability. When he talked about his father’s actions, as well as his own American citizenship, they were invested.
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April 5, 2019Chaska Goyzueta
Muchas personas hoy en día no se dan cuenta de que la educación es un valor y a algunas personas simplemente no les importa y otras sí, porque las personas que logran y trabajan arduamente obtienen una mejor carrera en su futuro. Por ejemplo, Panchito siempre quiso aprender más sobre cada asignatura en la escuela y cuanto más aprende sobre él, más inteligencia recibe un poco más cada día. Otras personas que se aprovechan de la educación y que sean grandes personas en el futuro, perderán todo lo que es importante para en la vida de ellos. Muchas personas logran sus sueños porque trabajan duro y nunca se rinden cuando en sus momentos más bajos, presionan mucho para lograr su éxito en la escuela, la universidad y su carrera en su vida. Muchas personas logran sus sueños porque trabajan duro y nunca se rinden cuando en sus momentos más bajos, presionan mucho para lograr su éxito en la escuela, la universidad y su carrera en su vida.
Muchas personas hoy en día no se dan cuenta de que la educación es un valor y a algunas personas simplemente no les importa y otras sí, porque las personas que logran y trabajan arduamente obtienen una mejor carrera en su futuro. Por ejemplo, Panchito siempre quiso aprender más sobre cada asignatura en la escuela y cuanto más aprende sobre él, más inteligencia recibe un poco más cada día. Otras personas que se aprovechan de la educación y que sean grandes personas en el futuro, perderán todo lo que es importante para en la vida de ellos. Muchas personas logran sus sueños porque trabajan duro y nunca se rinden cuando en sus momentos más bajos, presionan mucho para lograr su éxito en la escuela, la universidad y su carrera en su vida. Muchas personas logran sus sueños porque trabajan duro y nunca se rinden cuando en sus momentos más bajos, presionan mucho para lograr su éxito en la escuela, la universidad y su carrera en su vida.
December 30, 2025
i’m so glad i picked up this book from the discard pile of my high school’s library 5 years ago! finally got the itch to read it this Winter and it feels like perfect timing. I haven’t been on it with reading, so i really liked how this was an autobiography because it was easy to understand. anywassss… let’s get to what i thought of the book!!!
5/5! I wouldn’t know about the migrant experience in California during the 60s if I didn’t read this. I felt so proud of Francisco. i like how he met people in college who remind him his and his family’s struggles show that they’re brave and strong. i think a lot of migrant families today need to hear this too because the struggles continue. this book left me feeling hopeful though, because it takes just one teacher or friend to make someone believe in themself, and feel like their struggles are seen and heard.
5/5! I wouldn’t know about the migrant experience in California during the 60s if I didn’t read this. I felt so proud of Francisco. i like how he met people in college who remind him his and his family’s struggles show that they’re brave and strong. i think a lot of migrant families today need to hear this too because the struggles continue. this book left me feeling hopeful though, because it takes just one teacher or friend to make someone believe in themself, and feel like their struggles are seen and heard.
July 30, 2023
All of Francisco Jimenez' books about his life are fantastic, but I think this has been my favorite so far in this series. He writes with such honesty and in a positive way. I have gained so much appreciation for the journeys of my ancestors as well as those who have paved the way for my and future generations of Mexican Americans. I have also gained so much more appreciation for those who still struggle to create a better life for their families by toiling in the agricultural fields, putting food on all of our tables while they struggle to feed their own families. His life and experiences are so important for all Californians as well as all Americans to learn about, understand, and appreciate. I am looking forward to the rest of his books in this series about his life.
December 18, 2017
The book,Reaching Out by Francisco Jimenez, is one of my favorite books to date because of how relatable and correct the book was on the life of illegal immigrants and their children. My favorite part of the book was in the beginning when they Francisco informed us about how his family got to America and how hard it was for them.Being a child of an immigrant I felt that this part was important because these stories put inspiration in the hearts of many young children to be successful later in life and be able to support their families.
January 1, 2019
This is really a great series. I love the voice the writer uses to tell his story, which contains a lot of sad elements, but the voice is not sad. He is a very brave and interesting young man. This book made me cry several times, especially when Francisco was the victim of racism because he is Mexican. I loved how the priests at the school supported Francisco when he came to them for help. It was beautiful to see the college community step in and guide and support this talented young man towards his future. I am excited to read the last book!
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March 9, 2020I thought, a few chapters in, 'This would be a good book for [the less confident readers I work with].' It took me a little while longer to work out that it was indeed written with that kind of audience - whether schoolchildren or less confident adults - in mind. This is an interesting account of what it was like to attend university in mid 20th century USA, by a student from a working class, immigrant, background, but the deliberate choice to use simplified language occasionally had a distancing effect.
April 22, 2024
loved reading this book....partly because it tells the success story of a very motivated, hard-hard working individual and partly because it's written about the place and time period where and when I attended college, University of Santa Clara in the 60's. The author's experience was far different than mine, because of his background of growing up in a family of migrant farm workers, so his success is way more deserved than mine. I surely admire his tenacity and am happy to recommend this easy to read book to all. It's a young adult book, third in a series, called The Circuit.
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October 19, 2024This book continued Francisco Jiménez's autobiographical series about growing up as an immigrant from Mexico. It was eye-opening to me to see how torn he was about attending college, the work he had to do to support his family while he was away, and his experiences with prejudice.
The way that the author writes is very simple and clear, and his story flows in a way that made the book rather unputdownable. I was inspired by all of his experiences, and I am looking forward to learning more about his life in the final installment of the series.
The way that the author writes is very simple and clear, and his story flows in a way that made the book rather unputdownable. I was inspired by all of his experiences, and I am looking forward to learning more about his life in the final installment of the series.
November 13, 2025
“Reaching Out” felt like a memory from a past life that might’ve been mine. Not just because of the shared heritage and connection I see in Jiménez and his family like I do in mine, but because it takes place in the very place I grew up: Northern California. Hearing him mention San José, SJSU, and other colleges and cities I’ve grown up around my entire life makes me connect to this on a whole other level. God bless Francisco Jiménez, his ability of storytelling, and his accounts of my home state during such a trying time (1940s-1960s).
May 17, 2019
Francisco Jiménez wrote an amazing four-book memoir about his journey as a first generation college grad. It’s very inspirational—He overcame many obstacles to achieve his dreams, and God has been faithful to work in and through His life.
It is also inspirational because some of the main people that made a difference in Francisco’s life were his teachers. I hope to make such an impact in the lives of those around me as his teachers have made for him.
It is also inspirational because some of the main people that made a difference in Francisco’s life were his teachers. I hope to make such an impact in the lives of those around me as his teachers have made for him.
September 10, 2019
Francisco has a great story, and here in Reaching Out, he tells a moving story in simple prose that never loses sight of his origins. His hard work gets him to college, and then to grad school. His life was austere and full of hard work, but his determination paid off. It's an immigrant story with all the right touches, a boy who succeeds despite the odds stacked against him. This is a story of hard work, dignity, and love of family. I highly recommend it.
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