House on Mango Street is written as a series of vignettes. It is a "growing-up" story with no plot or specific setting. It is most closely related to a scrap book or picture album with each chapter representing a photo or snapshot of the author's life. For each vignette, ask yourself, "What does this tell about the author's personality? What does it reveal of her understanding of life?"

It can be read in any order, just as a scrapbook can be view in any order. There are many chapters, and I suggest you skip around. Mark lightly and in pencil the chapters that you have read, and erase the marks when you have finished the entire book. Write one sentence per chapter and draw one symbolic thumbnail sketch (about 1"X1") beside each sentence. These sketches will be used to complete your final reaction to the book.