Gary Soto
22) Buried Onions
Author
Language
English
Description
You can pray and sometimes God listens, says 19-year-old Eddie. "Other times he's far away in India or Africa or maybe close to home in Fresno, his body sprawled on the floor, glass all around because of a drive-by." All Eddie wants is to find a way out of the dangerous life he's living, where his friends are lost in a world of drugs and violence. Even his aunt wants to give him a gun so he can avenge the death of her son. But no matter how hard he...
23) Off and Running
Author
Language
English
Description
Fifth-grader Miata Ramirez is running for class president. Her best friend, Ana, is her running mate. The girls are stunned when they learn they are running against class clown Rudy Herrera and his friend Alex. At first Miata is certain she will win the election. She has big plans to make the school a better place. She'll clean up the graffiti, plant flowers and trees, and get computers. Rudy is confident he'll get the votes by promising longer recess...
24) Chato y Su Cena
Author
Language
Español
Description
"If you're looking for a Spanish-language listening center, you can't do much better than this." - School Library Journal
25) Petty Crimes
Author
Language
English
Description
In books like Buried Onions and Boys at Work Gary Soto displays a gift for revealing the tough, heart-breaking life of contemporary urban kids. In Petty Crimes, Soto offers 10 stories about the risky situations and dangerous little scams faced by young people growing up on the harsh streets of the city. Meet Alma, who can accept her mother's death from cancer, but not the loss of her mother's clothes to local charities. Cheer for Rudy, who learns...
26) Summer on Wheels
Author
Language
English
Description
Hector and his amigo Mando are looking for adventure as they hit the road on a leisurely bike trip from their East LA neighborhood to the beach in Santa Monica during summer vacation. They have just set out when the fun begins, as Hector literally stumbles into a starring role in a TV commercial. Then he turns out to be the one-millionth fan at a Dodger game-and is escorted to a private box and treated like a VIP! Before arriving at the beach, the...
Author
Series
Language
Español
Description
Chato's friend, Novio Boy, has never had a birthday party. As a matter of fact, he doesn't even know when his birthday is because he's from the pound. So Chato, being the good friend that he is, decides to throw him one - a "pachanga," and everyone is invited - including you!
Author
Language
English
Description
Growing up Mexican-American in Fresno, California in the 1950's and 60's might not have been easy, but it was certainly never boring for young Gary Soto, his brother Rick and sister Debra. As this compilation of 21 short stories and articles illustrates, there is no limit to the amount of fun a child can have, or how much he can terrorize siblings and neighbors if his imagination is active. Whether it's beating the new neighbor kids with bagged cats,...
29) Crazy Weekend
Author
Language
English
Description
When Hector's mother suggests that he and his amigo, Mando, get out of East LA for the weekend and see some of the world, he's thinking Paris. So he's a little disappointed when they end up in Fresno, sleeping on a lumpy couch in his Uncle Julio's messy apartment. Hector figures it's going to be one boring weekend. He couldn't be more wrong. Between flying in a rickety old plane, spotting an armored car heist, and warding off the bumbling thieves...
30) Chato's Kitchen
Author
Series
Language
Español
Description
Chato invites a family of mice to his house to share a tasty meal but to his surprise ends up eating tortillas and not them for dinner!
31) A Summer Life
Author
Language
English
Description
Gary Soto writes that when he was five "what I knew best was at ground level." In this lively collection of short essays, Soto takes his listener to a ground-level perspective, recreating in vivid detail the sights, sounds, smells, and textures he knew growing up in his Fresno, California, neighborhood. The "things" of his boyhood tie it all together: his Buddha "splotched with gold," the taps of his shoes, and the "engines of sparks that lived beneath...
33) Marisol
Author
Language
English
Description
Meet Marisol Luna, a girl who was born to dance. The family is moving to the Chicago suburbs, and Marisol learns that her new neighborhood doesn't have a dance studio. Instead of giving up, resourceful Marisol is determined to keep dancing. With the help of two friends, she figures out a way to combine her old world with a renewed commitment to stretch and try her hardest.
34) Canto familiar
Author
Publisher
Harcourt Brace & Co
Pub. Date
c1995
Language
English
Description
Twenty-five poems about the pleasures and woes that Mexican American children experience growing up.
35) Local news
Author
Publisher
Scholastic
Pub. Date
1994, c1993
Language
English
Description
A collection of thirteen short stories about the everyday lives of Mexican American young people in California's Central Valley.
Author
Publisher
Harcourt, Inc
Pub. Date
2006
Language
English
Description
Few writers capture the everyday moments of life like Gary Soto. In direct and vivid poems, he draws from his own youth in California's Central Valley to portray the joys and sorrows of young people. His writing focuses on Latino characters, yet speaks to readers of all ethnicities.--From publisher description.