La Mariposa

Young Francisco is excited to go to school. His excitement gives way to shame and frustration, however, as he realizes that he doesn’t fit in and he can’t understand what is happening around him in English. The story explores Francisco’s isolation and his daydreams about a caterpillar in a jar in his classroom.

This story is an excerpt from The Circuit and is based on the experiences of the author as the child of migrant farmworkers. Both English and Spanish versions available.