The Circuit: Stories from the Life of a Migrant Child

Books are an important symbol for The Importance of Education in The Circuit. Francisco covets books, even when he does not know how to read them. In “Inside Out,” Francisco enjoys hearing his first-grade teacher read aloud. Although he makes up his own stories in Spanish to go with the illustrations, he wishes that he understood her words.

Books are repositories of knowledge and ideas. The desire to understand English, and therefore the content of the books he collects from the dump and those he encounters in school, drives Francisco to pursue his education as much as he can, even on his own. Books represent education, and consequently, opportunity. In “To Have and to Hold” Francisco describes his own librito, the “little book” he creates to record his own knowledge. Francisco starts his librito in sixth grade, but continues after the school year is finished, reflecting his determination to continue learning. He writes, “I took my librito with me wherever I went” (103).

The loss of his librito is devastating but teaches Francisco that its knowledge resides within him. His self-education is a source of stability and gain. Francisco begins a new notepad, essentially