BOOK REPORT

TITLE OF THE BOOK: When I was Puerto Rican

AUTHOR: Esmeralda Santiago

NUMBER OF PAGES: 240

CHARACTERS: Negi, Julia.

PROTAGONIST: Negi her physical appearance is white skin, black long hair, brown eyes, tall, and dresses with a colorful dress. She acts like a girl that is interesting in the future by been a smart girl in school. Helps her mother with her other little children’s.

ANTAGONIST: Julia her physical appearance is a strong tall girl, yellow short hair, green eyes, and dresses with short shirts and scares. She acts jealous of Negi because, she wants to be better a prettier than the other girls. She have a bad attitude of screaming at people that she hate.

SETTING: San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Anyelina I think you should read this book since, is a personal journey of a immigrant life as cultural experience. Details a young girl own feelings growing up in a poor family but at the same time facing the realities of life.

I decide to read this book because, I identified my self as growing up in a similar situation which I had to immigrated to the United states to have a better life and opportunities that will benefits for my future and my dreams of life.

The plot When I was Puerto Rican, by Esmeralda Santiago, is interesting because it gives the reader a realistic sense of cultural life immigration. Negi the adolescent girl who spend her childhood in Puerto Rico living in poverty. When she was thirteen years old her family moves to the United states to get a better life and to get more opportunities and benefits so they could have a better future also she had to learned enough English to be a accepted in High School.

THE TWO THINGS THAT REALLY MADE ME TO LIKE THIS BOOK:

1- The characters skills and interactions.
2- The interesting life experience as a immigrant.

I really don’t understand the part when Julia starts missing Negi migrated to the United States.

This book is similar to another book that I read because it have the main point of view but with different experience of life.

When I was Puerto Rican, by Esmeralda Santiago, the theme of the story follows Negi through her hardships and joys of growing up along with her mother and her youngest bothers and sisters. Spend most of her childhood in Puerto Rico living in poverty. Her family did not have very much money and surviving was sometimes a struggle, especially when the family keep growing. The family’s lack of money lack them to move a lot throughout Puerto Rico. All the moving caused problems with Negi; she often found herself lost in the world she’s been living in her whole life. Not only does Negi's family not have much money, they also struggle to stick together. Negi's father, isn't home very much, upsetting Negi's mother immensely. She blames him for cheating and becomes very angry, resulting in Negi having a lot of unwanted responsibility around the house. This unwanted responsibility causes a strain on their mother daughter relationship. Negi is constantly trying to find herself in a very confusing world, where her father is never around, her family is always moving and her relationship with her mother and siblings is inconsistent. Just when Negi turns 13 and the problems of her childhood seem to be settling down, her mother moves Negi and her siblings to New York City. This changes Negi's life completely; everything she once knew is left behind in Puerto Rico. She has to start all over again. Negi has to work very hard at school, to learn English and catch up with the other children her age. Through her hard work and determination she is able to accomplish a lot and make herself a bright future.

10 WORDS THAT I LEARNED FROM THIS BOOK:

ZEST:Liveliness or energy animating Negi self esteem.

CHRONICLE:A record history of events in High School.

ENCHANTS:To attract and delight entrance in the store

TREASURE:Land when Negi went back to Puerto Rico.

SEQUEL: The firs presentation of Negi in the auditorium.

HARVARD: The city when Negi visit her college.

CHOPPY: The waves of Puerto Rico.

GAZE:The curiosity of new culture.

BITTER: The taste sensation of the food.

CURRICULUM:The particular after school program of grammar and dance.