Nearly a memoir, but actually prose, this book of short stories is written in Gary Soto style: 11 stories, giving perspective on the adolescent experience. These poetry reflections on the San Joaquin Valley. Check out “Barbie,” “La Bamba” or “Karate Kid”--tributes to old-timey childhoods. These stories will return the reader to memories from the 1980s.

A lovely collection of short stories about Latinx kids in the 10 to 16 year old range. The stories all have a ring of truth to them. A few coming of age stories, a few tales of young children feeling the kinds of things all young children feel, a few about first loves, and quite a few about a kid's natural desire to be good at something. ( )

Summary; This little chapter book full of different stories tells the tale of a average student. From crooked teeth all the way to baseball try outs its a great book to read for kids to relate to many of the other short stories in this book. Its a must read, you could use this in a classroom by informing kids on life as a student especially if they can relate. Must read! ( )

Gracefully written, engaging, authentic little slice of life episodes. Each snuck in a life lesson or two. Still, I have to take a star off for how much pop culture was used, which made it immediately dated. The experiences and lessons are meant to be universal - as in, 'we're all the same people, diverse but with the same dreams' - but they just didn't feel that way.

Otoh, if the reader does have even a single point in common with the characters (poor, Hispanic, young teen, Catholic, immigrant, *or* plays baseball or Barbie), he or she will probably enjoy it more than I did, as I am none of those things. ( )

This collection of short stories had a few okay ones (Broken Chain,Seventh Grade, Mother and Daughter), but some were just plain boring narratives in which little happens and when the stories end, you wonder if you're missing a page or something. What? That's IT? you ask. For reals, that's it. Sometimes, though, he really does capture a middle school moment so well. ( )