The Education of Margot Sanchez

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I liked this book more than I thought I would. After hearing the first chapter read aloud in class, I was not sure how I was going to feel about this book; it definitely seemed like an interesting read and I was intrigued to see how the book would turn out, but I was not sure if I would be able to connect with Margot’s character very well because of the differences in our cultural backgrounds (Margot being from the Bronx and of Latinx descent, while I am a white girl from the suburbs/fringe rural area around Greenbluff and am of primarily European descent) and because she seemed like a bit of a spoiled brat. However, I found that it wasn’t all that hard to relate to the character in the sense that I understand what it’s like trying to fit in and putting on a mask to get people to accept you. Despite Margot’s attitude and her actions, I still felt a connection to her, and felt like I needed to be rooting for her; I think that was a really interesting dynamic while reading the book.

Overall, I think that Rivera has made an awesome coming of age novel that most students could relate to, whether they share Margot’s cultural background or not, because it includes issues that teenagers deal with all of the time like fitting in, the opposite sex, discovering who you truly are and who truly cares for you, or learning to change for the better. Looking at the book as a future teacher, I think it reminded me that my students may act like this or worry about the same things Margot did, and that I have to remember that they are kids and they will get caught up in this stuff.

I don’t know that I would teach this in my classroom. If I did teach this in my classroom I would probably use it for a coming of age literature unit where students would be in little book clubs and could choose from a list of books, but not for whole class stuff. Even though I am unsure if I would teach this in my class or not, I do think that I would keep it in my classroom library for students to read if they are interested in it.

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