“[Soto's] sensitivity to young people's concerns and his ability to portray the world as it is perceived by children is nothing less than remarkable.” Los Angeles Times Book Review
Description
Gary Soto, an award-winning poet, is renowned for getting at the heart of a young person’s everyday life. In these eleven stories, performed with spice and energy by young actors Stephanie Diaz and Miguel Gongora, Soto again scores. With a sensitivity and humor born from his own experiences while growing up in California’s Central Valley, the author brings to the surface issues such as success and failure, honesty and deceit, love and friendship. Crooked teeth, ponytailed girls, embarrassing grandfathers, imposter Barbies, annoying brothers, Little League tryouts, and karate lessons weave the colorful fabric of Soto’s world. The smart, tough, vulnerable kids in these stories are Latino, but their dreams and desires belong to all of us.
Praise
“[Soto's] sensitivity to young people's concerns and his ability to portray the world as it is perceived by children is nothing less than remarkable.” Los Angeles Times Book Review
“A fine collection of stories that offers a different cultural perspective about feelings common to all teenagers. Soto writes well and with tremendous insight into the process of growing up.” Boston Globe
“Will strike chords of recognition in readers of all ages.” Horn Book
“Diaz and Gongora do a good job capturing the emotions of young people and skillfully reflect the confusion, frustration and joy of the characters. Both readers have "young" voices that convey an appropriate vulnerability. Each cassette is clearly marked with the stories it contains. ” AudioFile
Details
| Language | English |
|---|---|
| Release Day | Apr 14, 1990 |
| Release Date | April 15, 1990 |
| Release Date Machine | 640137600 |
| Imprint | Blackstone Publishing |
| Provider | Blackstone Publishing |
| Categories | Children's Books, Growing Up & Facts of Life, Sports & Outdoors, Education & Learning, Children/YA, Children 8-12, Fiction - All, Fiction - Child |
Author Bio
Gary Soto is the author of more than a dozen poetry collections for adults, most notably New and Selected Poems, a 1995 finalist for both the Los Angeles Times Book Prize and the National Book Award. He also writes young adult fiction and has received numerous awards, including the Human and Civil Rights Award from the American Education Association, the Literature Award from the Hispanic Heritage Foundation, and the PEN Center West Book Award for his young adult short-story collection Petty Crimes.
Narrator Bio
Stephanie Diaz lives in Seattle, where she works as a stage and voiceover artist as well as a theater educator. She has performed at the Sledgehammer Theatre, San Diego Rep, Western Stage, the Seattle Repertory Theater, the Intiman Theatre, and the Seattle Children’s Theatre. Her voice can also be heard on various CD-ROMs and web cartoons.
Overview
Gary Soto, an award-winning poet, is renowned for getting at the heart of a young person’s everyday life. In these eleven stories, performed with spice and energy by young actors Stephanie Diaz and Miguel Gongora, Soto again scores. With a sensitivity and humor born from his own experiences while growing up in California’s Central Valley, the author brings to the surface issues such as success and failure, honesty and deceit, love and friendship. Crooked teeth, ponytailed girls, embarrassing grandfathers, imposter Barbies, annoying brothers, Little League tryouts, and karate lessons weave the colorful fabric of Soto’s world. The smart, tough, vulnerable kids in these stories are Latino, but their dreams and desires belong to all of us.
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