Queso, Just in Time by Ernest Cisneros is a fun and touching novel about 12-year old Queso who travels back in time to 1985 and befriends his then-12 year old father, Pancho. In the present day, Queso’s father has passed away and many of Queso’s memories of his father are of him being weighted down by the world and his military service. Now, in 1985, Queso gets to spend time with the Pancho he’s only heard about – the vibrant, happy, daring young kid with a bright future ahead of him.
I loved this book. The relationship between Queso and the younger version of his father as well as his “young” grandparents was funny, relatable, and very touching. I loved the threads of Quetzalcoatl mythology woven throughout – Queso is actually short for Quetzalcoatl! There is also a wonderful theme of the power of books. And of course I loved all of the hilarious and nostalgic references to childhood in the 1980s. I definitely laughed out loud a few times.
This is an awesome book and perhaps my favorite middle grade read so far this year. I recommend it for readers ages 8 – 12.
WHAT I LIKED
- Well-developed, interesting characters
- The father-son relationship
- The theme of the power of books and representation
- 80s nostalgia
Have you read Queso, Just in Time? What did you think?
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