Multicultural and International Literature

Going Home

By Eve Bunting

Going Home is one of my favorite books by Eve Bunting. It is about a little boy, named Carlos and his coming to understand what “home’ means. Carlos, his two sisters, and his parents live in California; however, it is now the Christmas season and they are all getting ready to head back down to Mexico to celebrate the holiday. Carlos becomes confused when his mother tells him, “we are going home Carlos… home is here but it is there too.” To Carlos home is in California, not in Mexico; Mexico is just where he was born. Once Carlos arrives in Mexico with his family he becomes fascinated with all of the excitement and fun festivities going on in the village. He spends time with his grandparents and his cousins and he starts to see the magic in his roots. He begins to realize just how much his mother and father love and miss their home as well as all the sacrifices they have made since they immigrated to California to create more opportunities for their family. Most importantly, Carlos learns the real meaning of the word “home.” It is not necessarily where your house is, it is where your heart is. I would love to incorporate this book in the classroom; not only because of the beautiful pictures, but also because of the messages in the book. Not only does the book touch on the saying, “home is where the heart is,” which is something many students could possibly relate to, but also because it talks about the sacrifices immigrants make to provide more opportunities for their families. Carlos’ mother and father love where their roots are, but they leave all that behind to better their children’s lives. I think this would be a great topic to discuss with students, especially during a social studies lesson on immigration.