THE EIGHTH GRADE DANCE AND OTHER MEMORIES

Navigating eighth grade is hard
enough without having to learn a new language.

Debut author De Jesús allows readers
a glimpse into her childhood as she shares the memories and lessons learned
following her family’s move from Puerto Rico to the United States’ mainland.
Sometimes feeling like a stranger in her own country, relocating made it hard
for De Jesús’ mother to adjust. However, De Jesús knew that this time, unlike
the case with a previous short stay, they wouldn’t return to Puerto Rico soon because
the family had bought one-way tickets, and her grandmother back home had rented
out their house and sold all their belongings. It is through a different
surprise at the end of each chapter that De Jesús shares lessons learned
through her experiences. These glimpses into her life highlight the struggles
and culture shock that many Puerto Ricans face when moving within their own
country, expressed through descriptions of the challenges of learning to spell
in English, the realization that teachers were not respected, and even the feeling
of being overdressed for a school dance. Noting that “surprises can be
wonderful or unfortunate,” De Jesús offers honest, emotional, insightful, and
sometimes-distressful vignettes in small, digestible chapters. She presents the
Spanish version of the text first in the volume instead of having the Spanish
and English side by side. The translation by Kanellos stays true to the
original.