Becoming Kid Quixote: A True Story of Belonging in ­America

Gr 3-6–Ten-year-old Sarah Sierra’s bilingual chapter book discusses her experience as a Mexican American girl living in Brooklyn. Published to accompany the play The Traveling Serialized Adventures of Kid Quixote (an original adaptation of Don Quixote by the children of Brooklyn-based writing program Still Waters in a Storm), the diary-like chapters follow Sarah as she writes, rehearses, coaches her younger sister, and reflects on her immigrant family’s life in America. Co-written by Sarah and the play’s director, Stephen Haff, the young narrator’s voice truly shines. The content is both educational and celebratory. For example, while many young people will already know about toronjil, the lemony herb that some Mexican parents prepare for their sick kids, others will be excited to learn about it and gain further insight into Sarah’s world. Don Quixote, children in detention, food, space science, and other topics all fit flawlessly into the scope of this work. The language is simple yet reflective of the author’s inner world: “People making good food is one of the first things I think of when I think about my family.” The most powerful passages detail Sarah’s thoughts and feelings during the writing process, how ideas came to her, and how proud she feels when she hears them performed on stage.