1. Daniela Tovar Melissa Parra Aideé Corral
The Circuit
Daniela Tovar
Melissa Parra
Aideé Corral

2. Author: Francisco Jiménez
Born in Tlaquepaque, Mexico, in 1943, he is the second of two children in a family that would grow to nine. As a child he worked in the fields of California with no permanent home or regular schooling,
Despite the odds, he now is a graduate of Santa Clara University, he also attended Harvard University and received both a Master's Degree and Ph.D. from Columbia University. 
Francisco Jiménez emigrated with his family to California from Tlaquepaque, Mexico, and as a child he worked in the fields of California

3.  The Circuit  won awards such as the Boston Globe-Horn Book Award for Fiction, it was named the American Library Association Best Book for Young Adults, and he received a Jane Addams Honor Book Award, in addition to several other awards.

4. Main Characters Francisco Mamá: Francisco’s mother.
Papá: Francisco’s father
Roberto: Francisco’s older brother.
Francisco (left) with Mamá and Roberto

5. Secondary Characters Juan Manuel/Torito
Miss Scalapino: Francisco’s teacher.
Jose Francisco/Trampita
Arthur: Pancho’s school friend
Avelina/Rorra
Curtis: a popular boy at school.
Evangelna/ Yerman
Roberto/ Toto
Ruben/ Carne Seca
Miguelito: Pancho’s first best friend.
Mr. Sims: the principle at Pancho’s school

6. Summary
Panchito is a Mexican boy who lives with his older brother Roberto, and his parents. They are from a small village called “El Rancho Blanco. The family decides cross the American border towards the state of California.
Panchito is left with his baby brother, Trampita, in the Carcachita. Panchito feels alone and responsible of his brother.

7. Torito, Panchito’s new baby brother acquires a rare disease
Torito, Panchito’s new baby brother acquires a rare disease. The doctors gave no hopes, but the baby is miraculously cured.
This particular Christmas is quite hard for the family, Panchito wanted a ball for that Christmas, but receives candies
The house of the family is burned and they lost everything.
The family starts to live more establish thanks to the job Roberto acquires like a janitor. The story ends when Panchito is taken by a Border Patrol and is deported.

8. Plot
Francisco´s family moves to the United States, crossing the boarder illegally
The author explains their situation; they are a very por family searching for a better life

9. Climax
Francisco´s family works very hard in different labor fields trying to earn money for a living.
The family keeps growing but not their economical income. They all try to work but sometimes they can´t because of many situations (taking care of children, illness, etc.)

10. Internal conflicts
The characters do not know English so they can´t communicate well
Francisco feels sad because he can´t get toys for Christmas
He feels confused and self concious at school, he doesn´t have many friends
Francisco´s father feels frustrated because he cant work when it´s raining or when his back hurts

11. External conflicts
Francisco and his siblings´ education gets interrupted many times because they have to move to a different field to keep working
Torito, Francisco´s brother gets very sick
The family lives in bad conditions in dirty, old rooms and they can´t get a better job because they are illegal immigrants
Francisco´s father is injured
Francisco and his brother Roberto are deported

12. References: The Circuit, stories from the life of a migrant child