Meet the Family
Who is the main character and narrator of the story?
Francisco
What fruit is Francisco's family picking at the very beginning of the story before they have to pack up and move again?
Strawberries
What language does Francisco struggle to read and speak when he first starts school in California?
English
What is Papá?
This is the Spanish word Francisco uses for his father.
Who is Francisco's older brother who has to skip the first few weeks of school to help Papá pick cotton?
Roberto
What fruit does Francisco's family pick in Fresno, California, where they have to hide from the school bus so they don't get in trouble?
Grapes
What room does Francisco sneak into so he can practice reading his English book without anyone making fun of him?
What is Mamá?
This family member owns a prized gold pocket watch and is very proud of the family's old car.
Papa
What crop does the family pick in the late fall and winter, which turns out to be freezing cold and makes Francisco's fingers numb?
Cotton
What is the name of the kind sixth-grade teacher who spends his lunch helping Francisco learn English?
Mr. Lema
What is the carachita?
The broken-down car.
Who is Panchito’s baby brother who gets dangerously sick while the family lives in Tent City but miraculously survives?
Torito
What does Francisco want more than anything so he can feel grown-up and pick just as much as Papá and Roberto?
Cotton sack
What instrument does Mr. Lema promise to teach Francisco how to play?
The trumpet
What is the contratista?
This is the Spanish word for the boss who hires workers out in the fields.
Who takes care of the family, cooks delicious beans, and possesses a cherished, beautiful aluminum pot?
Mama
What are migrant workers?
People who move from farm to farm to harvest different crops as the seasons change.
Francisco gets into a playground fight with a boy named Curtis over what specific piece of clothing?
A jacket
What is el circuito?
In English, this Spanish word means "the circuit" or "the path," which is the pattern the family follows as they move for work.