Poetic coming-of-age story deals with abuse, sexual assault.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 13+?
Any Positive Content?
Violence & Scariness
a lot
On a trip to a carnival, a group of boys attack Esperanza. Esperanza's account of what happened is disjointed and not graphically detailed: She was with Sally but Sally goes off with an older boy, and while Esperanza waits for her, she's assaulted. One boy forces her to kiss him, repeatedly saying "I love you, Spanish girl"; it's implied that she was raped. Esperanza grows up in an environment where men and boys prey on young girls and force girls to kiss them. Husbands and fathers abuse their children.
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It's important to strive for a better life and keep a promise to come back for "the ones I left behind."
Positive Role Models
a lot
Readers will root for the smart, gifted narrator who displays grit and agency in changing the challenging circumstances in which she grew up, which includes just one room for the whole family to sleep in. She's on a quest for a better life.
Educational Value
some
Often assigned in school. Random House provides a list of questions for parents or teachers who want to dive into specific vignettes.
Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that Sandra Cisneros' The House on Mango Street is a coming-of-age novel originally published in 1984 about a girl named Esperanza growing up in a lower income Latino neighborhood in Chicago. The book begins when she's 12 and ends when she turns 14. It features gritty material including child abuse, men who treat their wives like captives, and a scene where a group of boys sexually assault a girl. It's not graphically described, but it's implied that she was raped. Esperanza is a smart, gifted narrator who's determined to say goodbye to her neighborhood and forge a better life and a home of her own. This book is often used in the classroom setting, and parents and teachers can use it to open up a variety of discussions, including about the importance of consent. One mother smokes a cigarette, and there are references to drinking.
The House on Mango Street is an incredible book for a plethora of reasons. It seems likely that the reviews written here vilifying the book were done by those that care little about Literature, exposure to different cultures, or stories that resonate with adolescents. Yes, the book contains a very vague scene of sexual assault that will likely only be understood by more mature readers. For public school classrooms with diverse make ups, this is a great book to read. It teaches girls from communities to stand up for themselves and question the ways society hurts them. It teaches all readers to dream big, reach their full potential, and learn from bad situations around them, as well as how what we are surrounded with impacts who we are. Inspiring, thought provoking, hopeful, and heart breaking all at once. If you feel that this book is "inappropriate" I strongly suggest you visit any real life middle school and you'll find that this book is much easier to digest than the real situations many of your children's peers are likely facing.
My 15 yo loves to read and this was an honors English 9 book this year. It was terrible!! The stories were totally disjointed, uninteresting and kind of weird (like what message are you really trying to send to the kids?). It is, however, pretty short. Not worth reading and would not recommend as part of an ELA curriculum.
What's the Story?
In lyrical language, a young girl discusses growing up in a lower-income Latino neighborhood. She tells her story in short vignettes, describing her friends, her family, and her neighbors, and her dream to have a "house all my own... Only a house quiet as snow, a space for myself to go, clean as paper before the poem."
In these short, poetic installments, Sandra Cisneros captures the sadness and desperation Esperanza sees among her neighbors, especially the women. Esperanza writes about her house on Mango Street with "windows so small you'd think they were holding their breath"; her mother, who quit school and pushes her to continue her education; and her friend Sally, who gets married too young to escape her house, only to end up trapped by her husband, who doesn't allow her to see friends or leave the house. There's also the confusion that comes with growing up, and the beauty in small moments, like riding a bike with friends.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the writing in The House on Mango Street. The book is written in vignettes. Is this an effective way to tell a story? How would the book have been different if it had been a more straightforward novel?
The House on Mango Street was first published in 1984. Why do you think it has had such a lasting appeal? Do you think it's still as relevant as it was when it was published?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
suggesting a diversity update.
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
By Kate Pavao
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
