The Education of Margot Sanchez


What struck me most about this novel was how the different struggles Margot goes through. I may not have done things the way Margot did and I may not be of Latino/Hispanic decent; but I did rebel against my family, I was a misfit in school, and I struggled with depression. I was surprised with how Margot acted towards her family. It is natural for kids to rebel, it is part of our biology as teens. Our brains are wired to be more adventurous and take risks. But Margot, while doing that, is also struggling with the realities of being a "misfit" in her school. She attends a high-SES prep school, but doesn't come from a high-SES family. She does what she can to fit in, but gets herself in trouble when she steals money from her family. She spends the summer experiencing how her family and community are different than other people at school. It makes her feel alone and that is a struggle. This hit me because I know what it’s like to be different. And I want to work with students who are "misfits" as labeled by the system. I like that this novel was realistic, but still had a moral. Margot didn't end the novel in tears, happy go lucky. She accepted the differences and resigned herself to being different. Part of Socioemotional Learning is accepting where you are, and doing what you can to change it but realizing that life isn’t always in your control. Many schools are beginning to move towards SEL, and this would be an amazing novel to have students connect to, think about how they are different from peers, and talk with each other. By realizing that they all feel left out or different at times, it can help breed kindness and inclusivity, along with understanding. This novel would be amazing for my future students to read. 

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