In sixth grade, students are often entering a time when ideas about who they are and how they fit in the world are front of mind. Summer of the Mariposas by Guadalupe Garcia McCall is a novel that follows the journey of the Garza sisters into Mexico and back, but it also navigates the personal journey that the girls take to find themselves, one another, and their family. This journey is part of what makes this novel such a good fit for students in the middle grades.
Using the hero’s journey structure and Homer’s The Odyssey as inspiration, Guadalupe Garcia McCall creates a world in which Mexican folklore and Aztec legend are woven into the more realistic experiences of Odilia and her sisters. Some of the ideas that students will return to throughout their reading will be the characterization of the sisters, the stages of the hero’s journey, and the themes of family and identity. As part of this work, students will consider how characters change and develop, compare McCall’s retelling to episodes from Homer’s The Odyssey, contrast the sister’s fictional journey to the non-fiction account of a migrant boy’s journey, and research Aztec mythology to create their own Lotería cards.
After completing the novel, students write an essay explaining what allows the hero of Summer of the Mariposas to be successful in specific moments. Through the use of a sample essay, exploration of the text, and discussion, students will complete a series of lessons to craft a well-written and focused essay.
Summer of the Mariposas by Guadalupe Garcia McCall
Excerpt from The Odyssey, a graphic novel by Gareth Hinds
Excerpt from The Odyssey by Homer, translated by E.V. Rieu
Excerpt from Enrique’s Journey by Sonia Nazario
EXTRA: Excerpt from "The Boy and the Bayonet" by Paul Laurence Dunbar
EXTRA: "Mariposa" by Edna St. Vincent Millay
Topic & Theme: The hero's journey through Aztec mythology
Reading: Trace a character's arc from the beginning of a novel to the end
Writing: Analyze how character traits assist a heroic character on their journey
Activity Highlights: Fishbowl discussions, presentations of research on Aztec mythology
Text Features: Latinx YA novel, incorporates magical realism, Aztec mythology, hero's journey
Summer of the Mariposas deals with the aftermath of a father’s desertion and the struggles of his daughters and wife in his absence. Additionally, in the excerpts from Gareth Hinds’s graphic novel The Odyssey used in Lesson 9, there are images that suggest an intimate relationship between Odysseus and Circe. Finally, in the excerpt in Lesson 11 from Enrique’s Journey, students discuss the circumstances of Enrique traveling to the United States as an undocumented minor in search of his mother. As this is a sensitive issue, some students may have experience with immigration in some manner.