Southwest Children's  Literature

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The House of the Scorpion

Booktalk:

What will happen in a future when cloning becomes a way for rich people to indefinitely extend their own lives?

Matteo Alacrán is a clone, made from the genetic material of the ruler of a poppy-producing country called Opium. Matt was grown inside a cow and "harvested" (unbeknownst to him) in order to provide spare parts for El Patrón, the lord of the Alacrán line. However, unlike El Patrón's other clones, Matt is allowed to keep his brain fully intact. As he grows up, the boy learns that this is both his blessing and his curse.

Raised and mothered by Celia and later mentored by Tam Lin, one of El Patrón's bodyguards, Matt is despised by most all the power-hungry members of the Alacrán family. Except for El Patrón and María, a sweet child who is at first confused by her affection for a "beast," Matt is considered less than human and no better than the other "eejits," or clones, living and working in Opium.

Eejits are treated worse than animals, and why not? They are brain-dead workers - not allowed to think and to learn. The Alacrán family lives in splendor in the Big House, while the clones tend to their every need. And in the poppy fields, the eejits work in the blazing heat from sun up to sun down, eating and drinking only when they are told to do so. Their worn-out bodies are simply plowed under when they are no longer useful to the Farm Patrol.

Despite his understanding of the damage El Patrón has done to people, young Matt is fond of the old man. The old man, who, thanks to his clones, has lived more than 140 years, tells the boy stories of his poverty-stricken childhood in old Mexico, now known as Aztlán. Much to the horror of the Alacrán family, El Patrón shows Matt genuine affection and allows him to share the limelight on their shared birthday. The two grow quite attached to one another, but little by little Matt discovers El Patrón will do whatever it takes to preserve his own life.

With threads of ethical issues, Nancy Farmer weaves a compelling and thought-provoking science fiction story set in a landscape suggestive of the Arizona-Mexico border. Young adults will be drawn in by the prejudice against Matt within the family and in the community. Living through this sympathetic character will invite readers to confront the moral complexity of cloning, prejudice, drugs, forced labor, border issues, and more. This book can be a springboard for debate and for reflection. Read and share this 2003 Michael Printz Honor Book, Newbery Honor Book, and National Book Award Winner: The House of the Scorpion.

Support for Readers: At the front of the book, the author provides a list of characters as well as an Alacrán family tree.

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