Book: Tafolla Toro by Lorenzo Gomez, III

I chose to read this novel because it is set in San Antonio, TX, and it chronicles the life of Lorenzo, a 12 year old attending Tafolla Middle School.  To give you some perspective, Tafolla MS is less than a five minute drive from Bazan Library Branch.  This is a school that I frequent throughout the year for outreach.

The book quickly captured my attention after reading the introduction.  It describes fear while walking home, describing streets and interstate highways that quickly set the stage in west side San Antonio.  The author lets the reader know that we will be reading his story as a middle schooler, while ending each chapter with the present day author writing to his younger self.

The story presents fear, anxiety, and nervousness entering new territory, middle school.  Young Lencho enters a world that is unfamiliar and quickly learns to adapt new rituals to stay clear of trouble.  Gang fights, hazing, violence, and uncomfortableness both at Tafolla and at his neighborhood present themselves giving Lencho the option of fighting or fleeing.  Older Lencho then reflects giving his younger self reasoning behind his decision making and an opportunity to learn from those experiences.

What I most loved about this book is the author's choice to write to his younger self.  As a teenager, most don't have the luxury to speak to an adult or someone of sound judgment to help overcome fear and anxiety.  Teenagers often bottle their emotions and may project those emotions causing harm to others.  Reading the letters sent to young Lencho made me realize that teenagers can use this book as a means to justify their emotions and accept that it is ok to feel angry, sad, fear, etc.  It's natural to have feelings as such and that age has not yet matured enough to give proper guidance.

I also loved that it gives hope to teenagers who feel marginalized or grow up in unfavorable conditions.  I don't want to spoil the story but it was a relief to see where Lencho finds himself as an older teenager attending high school, and how he is able to move forward.

Click on the link if you want to place an ebook hold with SAPL https://mysapl.bibliocommons.com/item/show/2226807097