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Mexikid: A Humorous and Heartfelt Exploration of Identity and Family

I absolutely loved reading Mexikid by Pedro Martín (2023; 320 pages)! The book is part memoir, part comic book; and both parts seemed to come together so beautifully. It was so fun to experience Peter's (Pedro) view on life in the 1970s as the oldest of the younger siblings in a family of nine children with loving parents who immigrated to the United States as young parents. Unlike Peter's parents and his older siblings, he has always lived in the United States. Peter embarks on a journey with his entire family as they road trip from their home in California 2,000 miles to his parents' hometown on the west coast of Mexico. The trip's purpose is to convince--and then move--his abuelito/grandpa back to the US with them. There are crazy side trips throughout the family's journey to and from Mexico along with reunions with extended family members back in Peter's parents' hometown. Throughout the trip, Peter learns more about his abuelito's life and finds ways to find his place in his own adolescent life while figuring out how to stake a stronger place in his large family.

Some toys discovered during Pedro's family trip to Mexico

The preview of Mexikid on the paperback's back cover sealed the deal for reading the novel. I was interested to read about the journey Pedro Martin and his family took from their home in California to Pegueros in Mexico. The chance of humor and heart throughout the text also attracted me to the read. The author, Pedro Martín, is also a former illustrator and creator for Hallmark Cards--which is evident in the book's illustrations and endearing humor. 

Notable Awards and Recognitions

"Pura Belpré Youth Illustration Award and the Pura Belpré Children's Author Award, plus a Newbery Honor and an Odyssey Honor for the best audiobooks produced for children and young adults" (Shelf Awareness for Friday, January 26, 2024; Shelf Awareness 1/26/24).

Teaching Considerations

  • There is a great resource from Penguin Random House, https://images.penguinrandomhouse.com/teachers_guides/9780593462287.pdf
  • There's no denying that graphic novels are very popular among YAL and younger chapter books, too. A thematic unit exploring Mexikid along with a few other notable graphic novels would be fun for students to work on comparing and contrasting texts and author's craft. Comment below if you have any recommendations!
  • This text is also one that can speak to many children in our classrooms who don't often see themselves portrayed in the classroom texts currently used. I love how the story showcases fun and beautiful Mexican culture and history and also highlights the strong--and loving--familial bonds of Mexican families. 
  • Humor as writer's craft and technique. Peter Martin does a great job retelling--with most-truth in his memory as he mentions in the back of the text/epilogue--the story of his family's trip to bring his abuelito back to the US where they live--an event that originally happened all the way back in the '70s. I think Mexikid would be a great anchor text for students to explore this writing technique in a larger unit of author's craft. Here are some fun quotes about--and from--Peter's dad/apa--to build and inspire young writing and reading students. 
It's amazing how cheap you can get something when people learn someone died in it.


~ Pedro's father looking forward to showing off the "newish RV" to his compadres in Los Angeles on their way to Mexico.  

    He was fulfilling his Mexican dad pledge to take advantage of all that is free and cheap in the world.

~ Pedro after he realizes his dad/apa and abuelito brought a wounded deer into the RV in order to eventually eat it rather than save it, as Pedro initially thought.  

     

    Martin's Mexikid did a great job incorporating Mexican culture and history throughout; I'd really like to learn more about Mexican culture as opposed to the Tex-Mex or Mexican-American culture that I've had more exposure to in the past. Mexikid shows the richness and pride in Mexican culture and I think that's an important part of the text that shouldn't be ignored with so much hateful rhetoric towards the U.S.'s southern neighbor and controversial discussions and policies towards immigrants crossing the southern boarder, as of lately. 

     

Martin, P. (2023). Mexikid: a graphic memoir. New York [New York], Dial Books for Young Readers.

Gaetano, Siân. (2024) Shelf Awareness 1/26/24

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