Heavy Medal Mock Newbery Finalist: MEXIKID by Pedro Martin
Introduction by Heavy Medal Award Committee Member Janee Jackson-Doering:
Being a Mexikid doesn’t mean you know everything there is to know about being Mexican. In fact, it’s the opposite. A Mexikid wants to learn more. A Mexikid is excited to fill in the gaps in his own story with stories of his heritage. (from the “Some of Your Questions Answered” segment in the back of the book.)
Author Pedro Martin is indeed a Mexikid. As the seventh sibling out of nine children, he was born in America. His parents were born in Mexico – and Pedro doesn’t know much about his Mexican heritage. When the family learns they’re to travel to Mexico to pick up their grandfather (or Abuelito) so he can live with them; Pedro worries that Abuelito won’t like them (pg. 18). On top of that, he hardly knows anything about him. Together, they pack the family Winnebago and travel 2,000 miles from California to Jalisco, Mexico – and Pedro learns more about Abuelito and his own identity than he could ever imagine.
MEXIKID is an unforgettable, funny and moving memoir. Pedro’s themes of family, identity, culture, and finding yourself are strong throughout the book. This graphic novel’s illustrations captured the culture and feel of Mexico beautifully – and it didn’t steer clear of heartbreak and realities in Mexico. From the shady border guards who practice “La Mordida” (or The Bite – pg. 71-72) to Abuelito digging through the dirt and mud to find and properly bury the remains of his beloved wife (pgs. 183-202); these are moments that stick with readers.
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I also loved how MEXIKID effortlessly weaved humor into the story. I laughed at the scenes of his family members getting sick of hearing the The Music Man song, “SHIPOOPI!” (pg. 79). Or when Pedro visits the barber and while hearing the barber’s story about his Abuelito, Pedro receives a less than stellar haircut (pgs. 112-134). MEXIKID is a great example of how readers can find their own identity.
Heavy Medal Award Committee members and others are now invited to discuss this book further in the Comments section below. Let the Mock Newbery discussion begin!
Filed under: Book Discussion, Heavy Medal Mock
About Steven Engelfried
Steven Engelfried retired from full-time library work a couple years ago and now works as a part-time Youth Librarian at the West Linn Public Library in Oregon. He served on the 2010 Newbery committee, chaired the 2013 Newbery Committee, and also served on the 2002 Caldecott committee. You can reach him at sengelfried@yahoo.com.
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The humorous elements of this really worked for me, and while it was a longer graphic novel than many of this age, it packed so much into every page as well, and that helped the characters and setting stand out more so than they do in most middle grade/lower YA graphic novels.
I agree Aryssa! It is a little longer than “A First Time For Everything” and the humor really balanced out the heartbreaking elements and both elements kept me intrigued. Both memoirs also have the theme of finding who you are – and it clearly stands out in both selections. For me, this is hard because I really enjoyed both books! I’m curious to see what everyone else thinks!
I really enjoyed this graphic memoir. Many of its themes will resonate with readers: making your voice heard, feeling anxious due to family drama, first love… so many! But what makes Pedro Martín’s memoir stand out is how jam-packed and vibrant it is with cultural references that also tell a story that would be familiar to people who aren’t Mexican-American. It checks off all Newbery boxes: it has thematic depth, a well mapped-out plot, a great setting, hilarious characters, and a unique style. (I love that Martín narrated the stories of his grandfather’s past heroic deeds in the style of a comic book, for example!) However, I wonder if my enthusiastic response to it is somewhat due to the fact that I am very familiar with the setting and cultural elements of the story, so I’d love to hear others’ thoughts on MEXIKID.
Bina mentions her familiarity with the “setting and cultural elements” of MEXIKID. I don’t have that familiarity. Well, mostly. I was a kid in the 70’s, like Pedro, and part of big family. So a bit of a mirror, there…but most everything else was a window, and I really enjoyed learning about that family, and also getting to know them.
That’s just me as a specific reader, so not really relevant to Newbery deliberations, but I also think this book can work that way for many readers: There are enough universal qualities to Pedro and his family that they seem in some ways familiar and in most all ways likable. But the specific details add so much that’s interesting and thought-provoking.
Snot and pop rocks! MEXIKID is memorable in so many ways, and as Bina and Steven said, it’s definitely a mirrors and windows book for readers. It’s got the big family in common with SQUISHED, and the Mexican-American culture of AY, MIJA!, it’s a road trip, a family history learning experience, and it’s funny! Pedro is irrepressibly enthusiastic, reluctantly introspective, impulsive yet shy; he has qualities that many readers can relate to. I thoroughly enjoyed MEXIKID, and it certainly ticks a lot of Newbery boxes.
MEXIKID had humor on almost every page, which really added to the readability. I’ve come around since first reading it to see its merit. It’s very interesting how they use the bold font to emphasize some parts of the text.
p. 55 – “Like most Mexican dads, Apa did not like to be TRICKED out of his MONEY.”
Just about every page has bolded text and it emphasizes what you should pay attention to (or sometimes no emphasis shows the boringness (to Pedro) of the text, like when Lila goes on her little history/culture spiels).
The downside of this book to me is how much the illustrations play a role. For example on pages 50-51, you really need to see Pedro’s frowns to understand what’s going on. Some panels have no words at all.
When we discussed “A First Time for Everything” I mentioned that graphic novels have been difficult for me. I love that the exist, I support their readers, and I promote and defend them as much as possible, but I struggled as a graphic novel reader. These two graphic novels have really made me reconsider that belief.
“Mexikid” made me feel like I was a part of the Martin family, along on their road trip to bring Abuelo home to the U.S. I could understand Pedro’s definition of Mexikid and how the circumstance of birth order influenced the identity and culture of his siblings. This book was truly a window for me, coming from an east coast, white, English-speaking family with just one sibling. Even with all of this new information, and these many new family members, I felt at home with the connections that I did have. I also had a stoic grandfather with many (possibly embellished) stories in his past. I took many long road trips with my family, although in a minivan instead of a Winnebago. I, too, argued with and was endlessly tortured by my one sibling. On top of those details, I think every reader can identify with the feeling of not quite understanding and not quite fitting in.
There are so many readers out there who will see this book as a mirror to their own families, cultures and experiences, and many of those are woefully underrepresented in children’s literature. Not shying away from serious realities, but with a heavy sprinkling of family and potty humor throughout, I think that “Mexikid” has what it takes to be a strong Newbery contender.
Janee Jackson-Doering’s addition of the back matter was a great way to set the intention of Mexikid. It is exceptional and a slam-dunk for the 2024 Pura Belpré Award that “celebrates the Latino cultural experience in an outstanding work of literature.”
Pedro Martin’s Mexikid is a coming-of-age memoir full of humor, entertainment, and emotion. Creative illustrations are expertly organized and enhanced with Spanish and English narratives. Readers experience heartwarming moments that capture Pedro’s personal experiences, tying two cultures together in a fun and readable way.
In the family road trip framework, Pedro/Peter delves deeper into his cultural identity while exploring the myths and legends of his abuelito’s (grandfather) life in Mexico. The strongest Newbery argument is in characterization. Particularly with abueilto Martin is successful in highlighting his childhood awe of the family hero and the adventures he encounters. Paralleling his childhood adventures, Martin shares his humor in dialogue and incredible drawing talent in his illustrations, (on a non-Newbery side note, I would like to point out that hands and horses are notoriously difficult to draw, and Martin did both well.)
Some of my favorite parts were his written description of the Winnebago (38,) Fanta sugar high (101), unfortunate haircut, and deer encounters (264.)
Many comparisons can be drawn between MEXIKID and A FIRST TIME FOR EVERYTHING. They both are NF Memoir’s the framework of a life-changing trip. They both are full of great text and content choices that are amazing. Family Style: Memories of an American from Vietnam and Huda F Cares as well as the fictional Parachute Kids and School Trip do this as well. However, I would make a case that MEXIKID and A FIRST TIME FOR EVERYTHING did the best job in the genre for crossing into literary excellence hitting Newbery criteria. I am glad they are on the HMAC list and hope they shift the discussion about the strengths and potential of Graphic Novels as an emerging force in Children’s literature.
For librarians who want to shelve popular graphic novels, there is a awesome grant:
https://www.ala.org/awardsgrants/awards/33697/apply