Module 2 Review - Mexikid

 

Bibliographic Information

Martin, Pedro. 2023. MEXIKID. New York: Penguin Random House, LLC. ISBN: 978-0593462294

Plot Summary

Pedro Martín has grown up hearing stories about his abuelito—his legendary crime-fighting, grandfather who was once a part of the Mexican Revolution! But that doesn't mean Pedro is excited at the news that Abuelito is coming to live with their family. After all, Pedro has 8 brothers and sisters and the house is crowded enough! Still, Pedro piles into the Winnebago with his family for a road trip to Mexico to bring Abuelito home, and what follows is the trip of a lifetime, one filled with laughs and heartache. Along the way, Pedro finally connects with his abuelito and learns what it means to grow up and find his grito.

Critical Analysis

Mexikid by Pedro Martin is a sweet graphic novel that’s equal parts thoughtful, poignant, and silly. This is a story of Pedro, one out of nine children, who live in California but are about to hit the road to drive to Mexico to pick up their grandpa who is needing a place to live. The story is set in the 1970s, so I appreciated the nods to the time period such as the recorded tapes, Happy Days, and the Fonz. The illustrations were clever and detailed, and I enjoyed looking at all the little parts of the pictures as I read. I do not typically read graphic novels, as pictures tend to be quite distracting for me, but I can see how they would be helpful for young readers. The illustrations were especially helpful for parts of the story that were told in Spanish. As someone who speaks very little Spanish, the context included in the pictures was needed! While this novel is aimed at readers aged 9+ years, if a student wanted to check this out in the library, I would recommend giving a little bit of a maturity warning. This book does describe digging up a grave and mentions a baby’s skull, as well as our young main character attempting to cut off a deer’s foot. I wasn’t expecting this in a book meant for young children, so I would make sure to tell my younger readers what to expect. While this book did have some surprising story arcs and wild tangents, it also was touching and emotional especially to those who have struggled to find connections within distant families. The last few pages took me the longest to get through as I found my eyes filling with tears at the touching words and sentiments spoken about their family.

Awards Won & Review Excerpt(s)

*Eisner Award Winner for Best Publication for Kids

*Newbery Honor Book

*Pura Belpré Author Award

*Pura Belpré Illustrator Award

*Odyssey Honor Audiobook

*New York Times Best Children's Books of 2023

*NPRBest Book of the Year

*Booklist Best Book of the Year

*Kirkus Best Book of the Year

*Publishers Weekly Best Book of 2023

*School Library Journal Best Graphic Novel 2023

*Booklist Best Books of 2023

*ALSC 2024 Notable Children’s Books

*Amazon Best Book of the Year

*New York Public Library Best Book of the Year

*Chicago Public Library Best Book of the Year

*Kirkus, starred review - "Full of humor, heart, and a decent amount of gross-out moments, Martín’s coming-of-age memoir hits all the right notes . . . the struggles with establishing identity, especially as a child of immigrants whose identity straddles two cultures, feel as current as ever. The vibrant, action-packed panels offer plentiful details for readers to pore over, from scenes of crowded family chaos to the sights of Mexico. A retro yet timeless story of family and identity.”

*Booklist, starred review - "There’s much to savor here, from the thoughtful exploration of bicultural identity to the good-natured snarky teasing of siblings to pivotal moments of growth amid guileless kidhood. It's a tightrope balancing act of antic humor and genuine pathos, and Martín pulls it off with tremendous flair."

Connections

*Create your guide to your family or influential people in your life. Who are they? What are some of their characteristics? What are some of their names and nicknames? Include any illustrations in your guide (hand-drawn or digital images). Use Pedro Martín’s family guide as a model.

*Learn more about the Mexican Revolution. Conduct research to learn about the causes, major events, and important figures involved in this significant period of Mexican history. Prepare a short presentation or report sharing the key insights. Here is a link to help you get started: Khan Academy: The Mexican Revolution https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/us-history/civil-war-era/sectional-tension-1850s/v/the-mexican-american-war

*Ask a family member about an exciting family story. Create a comic book story with a beginning, middle, and end that explains what happens. Add hand-drawn or digital images to your story. Be sure to include speech bubbles that capture the dialogue.