The Education of Margot Sanchez by Lilliam Rivera

Summary: After stealing her father's credit card to splurge on a new wardrobe,  Margot must work at her family's grocery store during the summer to pay off the debt. When she meets Moises, a community activist working for the South Bronx Family Mission, he challenges her views on life. While Margot has had everything that she has ever wanted in life, he has lived a rough life surrounded by violence and drugs. It is not until Margot's life is turned upside down that she realizes that there are more important things in life than trying to fit in at Somerset Prep. As Margot deals with her parent's divorce and brother's drug problem, she begins to correct her mistakes and remember who she is.

Rationale: The first thing that struck me about this book was that it was written in both English and Spanish. I immediately felt immersed in the language and Margot's world. Even though it was hard to listen to Margot complain about every little thing, I could relate to her because I was once in her shoes. Similar to Margot, I wanted to fit in with the popular crowd back when I was in high school and felt overwhelmed with all of my parent's expectations.  Like me, students that read this book will  find it easy to relate to Margot because they are also facing pressures of their own such as keeping up their  grades to get into a good university or playing sports to receive a full-ride scholarship. I also think that this book would be beneficial for students to read because it deals with many teen issues including drug abuse, underage drinking, and teen pregnancy.   While these are tough topics to talk about, I think that they need to be addressed. Students need to be aware of the consequences that can result if they choose to participate in reckless behavior. Overall, this book is easy to read and it does not hold back. It presents readers with the challenges that many teens face and gives hope to overcoming them.


Grade Level/Ability: 11th or 12th Grade

Although this book is an easy read, the content is best suited for upperclassmen.

Teaching Ideas:

1. Students could write about a time that they were grounded or forced to do a job that they did not want to do. This activity asks students to put themselves in Margot's shoes. Perhaps making connections with Margot will make reading this book easier for students.
2. Students could make a morality spectrum in which they evaluate each character's morality based on their actions throughout the novel. This activity would give students an opportunity to explore the characters in depth. 
3. Students could discuss how Margot changed throughout the story in small groups and then share with the class. What events or what individuals made her change?

Obstacles: This book deals with a lot of heavy topics such a sex, drug abuse, and  underage drinking that both parents and administrators will definitely find inappropriate. Additionally, parents could have a hard time allowing their children to read a book in which the protagonist often lies and steals to get what she wants. They could think that she is setting a bad example for their children to follow. As for students, the language could be hard for them to understand because part of the book is written in Spanish. Moreover, the topics of divorce and rehab could be hard for some students to read about and discuss, especially if their parents are divorced or if they personally know someone that went to rehab. If I were to teach this book, I would allow students to step outside the classroom or talk to the school counselor.