And Now Miguel is based on a 1953 award-winning documentary film of the same title. Krumgold visited Miguel's family, then wrote and directed a film about them. Translated into fifteen languages, the film was distributed worldwide by the U.S. State Department. In 1966 another film version of And Now Miguel appeared, released by Universal Pictures. The screenplay was written by Ted Sherdeman and Jane Clove; the film was produced by Robert B. Radnitz and directed by James B. Clark, and starred Pat Cardi, Michael Ansara, Guy Stockwell, and Joe De Santis. Like the original film, the movie has a documentary flavor.

And Now Miguel is part of a trilogy of novels, each of which portrays the life of a twelve-year-old boy in a different American community. And Now Miguel focuses on life in a rural, Hispanic community; Onion John centers on life in a small...