Gary Soto Books

I echo the review from "A Customer".
In addition...
I'm a preschool teacher and the kids definitely understood the story. It's a great addition to a multi-cultural program and can open up conversation about culture.
As for the book, I enjoyed the illustrations!

I bought this book for my three year old daughter. She absolutely loved the story. Now when she plays in her kitchen she makes me homemade tamales. :-)

Our family loves this book! We checked it out from our local library and soon it was my four year old daughter's favorite. When December rolled around, I checked it out again, bought tamale makings and my four year old and I made cheese tamales. We took them to her pre-school class for snack along with the book. Her teacher read the book to the class and then they all had the tamales that my daughter and I made. It was a huge hit!! Now that she is in kindergarten, we will do it again (I am buying the book since I have two girls and I think this tradition will go on for a while!). Tamales are a really kid friendly activity and it was a great experience for both of us. You should try it!

I love this story because it brings back memories of when my family would get together at Christmas time to make the annual batch of tamales. Everyone was involved and when all the work was done, we couldn't wait until they were ready to eat. The story is well told and my students look forward to hearing the story year after year.

My class of second and third graders really enjoyed this book. Many of them make tamales at home every year. They enjoyed reading about someone else that shares the same traditions. It opened up a lot of discussion about telling the truth. The only problem was all the talk about tamales made them hungry!

I had resolved to try a new approach to buying books - first borrow them from the library and only buy them if I think I would read them again. I happened on Gary Soto's compilation by chance at the library - and it's the first book I am going to have to buy following my rule.

These are poems that draw you immediately into their world, which they create by the simplest of means - the most telling nouns, the most pungent verbs. It's all here - the child, the outsider, the lover, the starving, the optimistic. These are poems crafted out of a spareness of cloth, a richness of spirit. Poems that continue talking long after they have been laid aside.

A Review of Gary Soto's New and Selected Poems:

"Clearing a path / Through the forest / A path that closed / Behind them / As the day opened / A smudge of its blue / They were the first / To leave, unnoticed / Without words / For it no longer / Mattered to say / The world was once blue" ("The First," 29-40).

So eloquently representative of Gary Soto's New and Selected Poems as a whole, these lines capture the essence of the book's journey through growth and understanding. Deeply connected to his roots, Soto's poems are an intimate portrayal of his perception of the world. Unabashedly tackling some of life's greatest mysteries, the poems grapple not only with God and death, but with the meaning of life in general. Beginning with the contemplation of a young boy, Soto's readers grow with the poems, bond with the persona, and ultimately feel a part of the poetry itself. Through keen detail and the virtues of a true poet, Soto does not tell, but rather shows, his readers who he was, and more importantly, how he has come to be.
Making direct reference to the pivotal point in which his life was changed forever Soto writes, "And the moment our father slipped / from a ladder our mother / Reached the door / That opened into a white room / A white nurse / It was the moment / I came down from the tree" ("The Evening of Ants," 35-40). Describing the day his father died, a common theme throughout the work, he openly states, "It was the moment / I came down from the tree" (29-30), meaning that it was the day he lost his innocence. Later, reflecting on the death, he sates, "He fell / From the ladder with an upturned palm / With the eyes of watery light / We went on with sorrow that found no tree / To cry from" ("Another Time," 32-37). It is this frankness and overt display of emotion that so intimately welcomes the reader into the poet's self. Describing not the death itself, but the consequences and its psychological toll, one becomes transfixed with the struggle and often finds oneself questioning if not they would react in the same way.
Drawing from the incredible loss at such a young age, this theme is continued as Soto's journey progresses with questions about God, and about faith itself. In a reflection on Heaven he writes, "Maybe you sit in a chair / Maybe earth is far below / Or maybe the new home is much closer / Just above the trees. / A sea howl at the window / - or you're those hangers banging / Quietly when the closet door opens / Conjectures. Little clues / Really. But we're hopeful we'll wake. / The chair is for us" ("Heaven," 9-10, 14-21). Clearly seeking understanding, perhaps for a reassurance is not final, Soto ponders the question of faith. In a darker reflection we read, "By the time I was eighteen and in junior college / Religion was something like this: The notion / Of "project" is an ambiguous substitute for the notion / Of quiddity, and that situation is / An ambiguous substitute for the notion of an / Objective condition resulting from the causes / And natures interacting in the world" ("Home Course in Religion," 1-7). This disconnected jumbled confusion of faith greatly contrasts a younger description in which he writes, "I was a pretty holy third grader... / I sat in the front pew / Among old Italian women hunched together / Like pigeons, happy because it was only a matter / Of time before Monsignor would say, we are sinners / I would look at my shoes / And nod my head Yes. / I recalled my sins." ("Some mysteries," 1, 6-11). An ongoing discussion in a quest to understand faith, Soto displays both blind understanding and acceptance, and an intellectual pursuit for answers. Not reaching any specific destination, the quest is left to the reader to embark upon him/herself. As for God Himself, Soto writes, "God, I see is bringing out his book / His tongue black from licking his pencil / Again and again" ("Planet News," 22-24). This idea of providence seems important to Soto as he writes, "So I went on, did not / Look back, but thought / That God was testing me" ("The Journey," 28-30). With the hardships experienced as a youth and a troubled young adulthood, it seems fitting that Soto would describe his life as "a test," and sensible that it was made endurable through the belief that despite hardship, God was still there "with his pencil," and that He hasn't been forgotten. This revelation of how to cope leads directly into his understanding of life in general.
He states, "A friend says, be happy. Desire. / Remember the blossoms/ In rain, because in the end / Not even the ants / Will care who we were / When they climb our faces / To undo the smiles" ("Between Words," 30-36). Gruesomely stating the necessity to carpe diem, Soto's entire collection is a description of examples. Overcoming adversity and fighting life's most difficult quandaries, one of the most delightful aspects of his poetry is a continual appreciation of the small things. Whether is be oranges, sparrows, flowers, or family, a simple joy of life is never absent from the poetry.
In conclusion, I present this collection of poetry as highly recommended. The subjects are real and the writing is human. In this poet, it is easy to find one-self. For those tired of tongue-tied poems with obscure meanings, this collection is for you. Soto is clear, concise, and a poet you won't soon forget. As he says, "How strange that we can begin at any time" ("Looking Around, Believing," 10). Begin today by buying this book!

Like shadow puppets on a curtain which suddenly become real, Soto exposes the pain, humor and glory of being Mexican in California's San Joaquin Valley. From the helplessly funny "Mexicans Begin Jogging" to the proud celebration of "Kearney Park" Gary Soto shares the poetry of his life.He makes writing poems look so easy, I'm sure could do it

Thanks to Chronicle Books for bringing out Soto's New and Selected Poems! So much of the man's stuff (especially the early stuff that I first fell for - the poems from Where Sparrows Work Hard and The Elements of the San Joaquin) is sadly out of print. But now, here's most of it presented in a thoughtful collection that gives us the best of the past and lets us catch up on the latest.

I love Soto for his heart that beats through every line and for the warm humor that softens the heavy stuff he has to show us. His poems, my students tell me, tell it like it is. His poems, my poet friends tell me, say it like it should be.

I await now the Collected Poems by Gary Soto. Are you listening Chronicle Books?

I find it sad that Gary Soto has been labeled by some as a "Mexican-American" poet. He is an American poet, or, better yet, a poet. From this book, I'd recommend these poems to be included in the Western canon: "At the All-Night Cafe", "Drinking in the Sixties", "Home Course in Religion", "Oranges", "Some Worry", and "Taking the Movies to the Streets".

"Chato and the Party Animals" is a fun children's book by Gary Soto. The story is superbly complemented by Susan Guevara's illustrations. The book opens with a Spanish-English glossary. The text is in English, with Spanish words from the glossary ("comida," "el barrio," etc.) blended in.

Chato is a cat -- described as a "party animal since he was a kitten." But he's also a caring cat, and the story's plot is set into motion when Chato comes up with an idea to cheer up Novio Boy, a friend of his who is feeling sad.

"Chato" is really hilarious. In addition to the Spanish words, Soto spices up the dialogue by having the cats call each other "dude" and "Homecat." The story involves a nice mix of silliness and warmth, and ultimately celebrates friendship. Guevara's outrageous, colorful pictures are full of energy and packed with surreal details. Definitely something out of the ordinary, and something special.

Chato's back. Having learned his lesson from his encounter with the mice in "Chato's Kitchen" this kitty cat is now at peace with every animal he encounters. So much so, in fact, that he is quite the partier. While attending the birthday celebration of the dog Chorizo, Chato discovers a sad fact about his buddy Novio Boy. Originally from the pound, Novio Boy never knew his mother and never had an official birthday. That's all the info Chato needs as an excuse to throw for Novio Boy one of the biggest birthday celebrations ever. He hires a dj, buys tons of food and presents, even purchases a gigantic blow-up dog to fight with. As the guests arrive, however, one fact remains alarmingly clear. Novio Boy was never invited to his own party! After some scrambling and a mistaken death everything turns out for the best and Novio Boy has one of the best pachangas a cat could hope for.

If you've never read a book that combines the effortless writing style of Gary Soto with the eye-popping grandeur of Susan Guevara, you're in for a treat. Like "Chato's Kitchen" this book provides a useful Spanish/English glossary for quick referencing. Spanish words pop up in appropriate places, never sounding forced or out of sync with the storyline. But illustrator Guevara has truly outdone herself here. In the previous Chato book the crazy energy and color of life was remarkable but not overwhelming. Here, on the other hand, Guevara's pulled out all the stops. From the guardian angel-like imagery of Novio Boy's mother that flies, unseen, from picture to picture, to Chorizo's beret and the repetitive phrase (which I loved ) "We are not a minority" that appears in a couple scenes in the background, this book has it all. Best of all is the moment in which each character (thinking Novio Boy dead) stands and thinks of what they liked best about him. As they do, Novio Boy appears on each person's head, acting out their compliments. Guevara also has a sense of movement that allows each character to slouch, run, relax, or dance in a natural free flowing way. It's a talent most illustrators pray they'll attain in their lifetimes.

Some people might be put off by the energy and dynamics in this book. If so, I am truly sorry. My advice would be to flip through this book to make sure you're up to the challenge of reading it to your kids. After all, if your reading style is flat and colorless, this is not the book to put your children to bed with. You are, in fact, unworthy of the text. If instead, however, you have a sense of style and flair that can match this eloquent book, definitely seek it out. Honestly, you've never seen anything like this before.

This book is great on so many levels. I read it with students I tutor and they requested it again and again. At the end of the year I gave them each a copy as a gift. Both of them opened it and got wide-eyed as they saw what it was! One of them said, "This is my favorite book ever!" This was wonderful to hear from a kid who started out so reluctant to read. The story is great on so many levels; there is a message of friendship that is not sappy, but very sincere. Soto also skillfully weaves in the culture of the barrio with his use of Spanish and Mexican themes. What a lovely story.

Novio Boy is a tough kitty, but he does have one soft spot. He comes from the pound. He never knew his mami, and since he doesn't know when his birthday is, he's never had a party. When his best friend Chato realizes how sad this makes him, he decides to throw him a huge birthday party. This is a delightfully fun story of community and friendship. Soto cleverly intertwines Spanish and English, bringing in slang from both languages, creating a cool, hip atmosphere. These homecats kick back and say things like, "he was muy kind," and "the coolest carnal in all the barrio." The language gives us a true taste of barrio spanglish. When Soto's deliciously funny words marry Guevara's festively vibrant acrylic illustrations, the story truly becomes alive.

I believe that third and fourth graders would really enjoy this text about this Mexican American youngster. Children would also enjoy the occasional Spanish included in the text. The only problem: Soto does not include a glossary this time. Oh well, Soto does a great job of portraying a family that understands what it means to really work for a living and teaches kids not to take everything for granted. Soto stays away from the sterotypical "lazy mexican".

The Pool Party by Gary Soto is a great story of a little hispanic boy named Rudy that gets invited to a pool party of a wealthy friend. Rudy's family is concerned that Rudy will not fit in and proceed to give him advice on what way he should act at the party. In the mean time Rudy decided that he is going to take an inner tube to the party against the wishes of his sister who told him that in a pool party, people don't actually go into the water and just chat by the side of the pool. Rudy listens to everyones advice, but at the end he does what he thinks is right and goes to the party and just does what is right for himself. The inner tube that he takes to the party is well received by everyone and he has a good time. This book is great for children in the fifth grade and on to read because it teaches them that being yourself is the right thing to do.

Gary Soto expresses the issue of fitting in and family life while using Rudy to guide us in a humorous way. This book is a great choice for young readers because they are able to relate with Rudy's dilema of fitting in and being liked by a new group of friends. One major concern was when Rudy finally goes to the pool party with his inner tube. One can't help but think of poor Rudy returning home early from the party crying and feeling dreadfull. The family unity is prevelant through out this book and it is expressed with how everyone is trying to give Rudy advice on how to act, talk and greet people while he's at the party. Over all this book is a great book that I had the pleasure of reading. I would recommend it to any student regardless of their ethnic background.

I remember being so captivated when reading this book in the fifth grade that I read it in one sitting! I had hated reading books before that. Soto is a great author and his story's will appeal to all kids.

I've enjoyed Gary Soto's work since Who Will Know Us? Each new volume shows a more confident and nuanced voice. While this volume continues his emphasis on his Fresno Chicano background with its hard, down to earth, poor Hispanic Catholic background, this volume occasionally shows his educated, academic side. But how creatively: "Blind Tiresa, pagan god of no importance/ ... / You were booted out of town by Christians, / Their bottoms gnawed by lions and such." Absolutely splendid images and language.

I won't claim that his concrete poetry will be highly values in 1000 years ... but he should he considered a major poet of the century if the basis is the quality of his work. (Yes, I know, "major" often means influential rather than excellence.)

Graced with Soto's characteristic humor and wit, this is one book of poems you don't want to miss. This guy is a laugh a minute! Situation after situation, poem after poem, Soto's eye for the crazy and sublime produce many memorable pieces. ADELANTE!

National Book Award finalist Gary Soto proves that he is well deserving of the acclaim with his latest installment of poems titled A Natural Man. The collection of poems takes the reader on a journey through the life of a young man in California's San Joaquin Valley, and then relates stories of an older man's trials and tribulations as he enters mid-life. The book is peopled by characters such as big talkers, lazy souls, drunken mariaches, job seekers with no skills, and teenage werewolves, among others. All the characters and events are relative to Soto's experiences as a Chicano in California. Soto rarely misses a chance to glaze his phrases with humor and simultaneously relate the reality and sometimes poignancy of the situation at hand. As a novice to Soto's work, I was quickly drawn in and enlisted as a huge fan of his work. Soto has a down-to-earth approach to his work that has become an anomaly in the often high-blown existentialism of today's poetry. Soto takes us back to his roots as a Chicano, but also expresses universal themes of the male experience. The local color and regional voice took me back to my memories growing up in a small Texas town with an abundant Hispanic population. In the first poem of the book (my personal favorite), "The Mariachi Suit," Soto describes the drunken mariachi narrator with "[his] spurs jangling music / [his] guitar like a small coffin / in [his] arms." The mariachi player "work[s] [his] fingers / Over D and A, the drunken chords / Of every Mexican bar song." This poem introduces us to the scene and the tone for which most of the collection will reverberate. The second poem is about Soto's experiences teaching Mexican immigrants Spanish at night school. The voice in this poem is particularly realistic and funny. One of the women in the class asks, "Teacher, what is 'tally-ho'." The images that Soto conjures up throughout the book are amazing. He juxtaposes words brilliantly to evoke the always-proper response in the reader. In "Teaching English From an Old Composition Book," Soto describes an instance when the narrator has taught the class through body language and spoken language how to do various daily tasks. Soto describes how "Suddenly the class is alive- / Each one putting on hats and shoes, / Drinking sodas and beers, cutting flowers / And steaks-a pantomime of sumptuous living. Soto touches on almost every aspect of his male evolution. We see his boyhood memories and innocence in "The Blue Cavalry and the Falling Indians." We see his adolescent escapades in "Werewolf Friends." His college experience is related in "Economics." The sexual urge of his young bachelor life is apparent in "Chitchat With the Junior League Women." Soto's male-bonding and Mexican heritage is prevalent in "Mexican Folktales." Every poem has something special to offer, and I rarely became distracted and/or bored. One interesting component of this collection of Soto's work is that the form is overall consistent. All of his stanzas are relatively long with short lines. Moreover, Soto capitalizes every first letter of a line. This rigid form can become banal at times, but the content far outweighs any apprehension towards form. I highly recommend this book to anyone. There is something that everyone can enjoy and/or relate to in these poems. I know that I will be reading as much of Gary Soto's other work as I can.

I love this book for so many reasons! The poems are great and students will be able to relate to them. Teachers will have so many ways to incorporate these and should be able to come up with great activities to do with the poems. The papel picado-like artwork is great, too!

This book was a fantastic support when teaching 5th graders to move beyond "recipe" poetry. The ode structure helps them find the poetry in their day to day experiences. They thoroughly enjoyed listening to Gary Soto's odes, and were eager to write their own.

This book was a fantastic support when teaching 5th graders to move beyond "recipe" poetry. The ode structure helps them find the poetry in their day to day experiences. They thoroughly enjoyed listening to Gary Soto's odes, and were eager to write their own.

This book was first read to me when I was in fifth grade. Years later I can still remember being in California with the characters in the book - smelling, seeing, touching everything that they smelled, saw and touched. Wow.

A Summer Life explores a young boys life as he grows up in Fresno, California. In a three partbook, broken into thirteen short chapters in each part, Gary Soto covers everything from "TheColors", to "The Chicks", to "The Computer Date". (names of chapters). Mischeivness wasdefinitely a part of this boys life, just as it is for most young boys. In just the first chapter, "TheBuddha", the boy killed ants with his Buddha toy, and ran underneath a moving semi-truck. The boy would do such silly things as taking old bicycle handle bars and imagining that they would slow him down and keep him from reaching a high, uncontrollable speed. He would also put bottle caps on the bottom of his shoes, then he would kick the cement to make an "engine of sparks" come from beneath his feet. Throughout the story the boy has a few problems with his siblings. When his sister chewed Bazooka bubble gum and saved the proof of purchases to send in and get a locket, he wanted her to get the binoculars instead. As the boy has these experiences with his family and his surrounding, he matures from age five to seventeen, and is confronted with events that teach him lessons about life. Gary Soto definitely shows his poet style of writing in A Summer Life. There is rarely a detail missed. This was truly a great book and I recommend it to readers who enjoy real life situations, a sly sense of humor, and a realist style of writing. I would give "A Summer Life" three thumbs up if I had another hand! -RmP

I read Gary Soto's "A Summer Life" while I was writing my first book in order to educate myself in the creation of vibrant, evocative scenes that come out of ordinary, every day experiences. For example, in Soto's essay, "The Shirt," he shows how the tragic, post-Korean War existence of Uncle Shorty seemed magical and special to a young Soto who covets his uncle's shirt: "I used to slip it on when he was asleep, and at the age of five I knew the smell of a man who went and came back from war....It was the shape of muscle, the anger of a tattoo panther hiding behind cotton, the hair in the collar, the small hole where a bullet could have entered and exited without his dying." Or, with the simple first line of "The Weather," Soto can set the stage for the mysteries of climate: "January doesn't show its true face until you can scratch a cold window with a finger." This little book will make you smile (and sometimes wince) as it brings back your own personal memories of growing up. This is a wonderful collection that offers everyone, including new writers, a chance to enjoy and learn from beautifully crafted essays.

Accidental Love is a sweet book about two teens who end up with eachothers cell phones and fall in love. The thing I loved so much about this book was the style of writting. It is written in the same style as Star Girl. I enjoyed the way that Marrisa and Rene grow up. I think its neat that Rene made Marrisa want to become a better person. Overall this was a sweet love story with a different plot.

Marisa Rodriguez is a Latina with a hot temper. She goes to a rough school and is accustomed to solving problems with her fists. This is actually how she meets the boy who will end up changing her life. When Marisa gets into a fistfight with Roberto, the slimy boyfriend of her best friend Alicia, Roberto's nerdy math tutor Rene is there to break it up. During the scuffle, Marisa and Rene accidentally pick up each other's cell phones. Upon exchanging them, it is evident that there is an undeniable chemistry between the two.

They begin dating and become inseparable. Marisa ends up transferring to Rene's school and uses her aunt's address on her registration. They audition to be in Romeo and Juliet together, begin a fitness plan (Marisa wants to lose weight and Rene is determined to gain muscle), and each desire a personality makeover (Marisa would like to stop reacting so violently, while Rene wishes to be cooler).

Because their attitudes and personalities are so different, it's understandable that Marisa and Rene must deal with certain conflicts and pressures in their relationship. These are the kinds of problems that all teenagers will face at some point in their lives. As a result, readers will be able to relate to this young couple quite well; they will want them to succeed and be happy with each other.

Included at the end of the book is a glossary containing Spanish terms that are sprinkled throughout the pages. In no way do the presence of these words detract from the overall reading of the novel; most can be figured out easily from the context of the sentence they are in.

Through his outstanding story, Gary Soto demonstrates that young adults indeed are capable of overcoming various hurdles to become whatever it is they want to be. They can succeed and make better lives for themselves, just as Marisa and Rene have done in ACCIDENTAL LOVE.

--- Reviewed by Melissa A. Palmer

Hard to compete with such a terrific review, but I must add my own HUZZAHs.

I love the artwork. I love the interspersed black and white comic strips that add to the exposition.

I love the spanish slang scattered throughout: after but a few readings, my 3 year old now says, "FUU-CHI!" (yucky, stinky) as he wipes kisses off (with a smile, of course -- he's a sweet boy).

I bought Chato Goes Cruisin' in a bookstore and ordered the other 2 sight unseen, fully confident that they'll be as wonderful.

Some picture book series get progressively less inspired as time goes on. Ian Falconer's, "Olivia" books do this. Ditto "Babar". It's just a common occurrence that people kind of come to expect. You would think that an author like Gary Soto would have used up all his creativity and ideas in the "Chato" series with "Chato's Kitchen" and "Chato and the Party Animals". In much the same way, Susan Guevara's illustrations should, logic dictates, become less entrancing and pleasant to the eye as she brings Chato's world to brilliant life. Yet here I am staring at "Chato Goes Cruisin'" and I can't for the life of me figure out how Soto and Guevara managed to come up with yet another remarkably fresh escapade in the lives of my favorite barrio boys, Chato and Novio Boy. I can't figure it out, but somehow it happened. We should be this lucky with every series.

There are distinct advantages that come with eating your cereal every morning. In Chato's case, the advantage is that he now has a chance to enter and win a free cruise for himself and a friend. He enters, wins, and before you know it he and his best friend Novio Boy are off for a vacation of pure relaxation. In theory. The truth of the matter is, when they get to the docks they find a cruise ship occupied entirely by dogs. Well behaved party dogs but dogs just the same. There are dog snacks, dog games, dog videos in the library, and a heckuva lot of howling at the moon. Soon enough, however, the dogs become ill and it's up to our intrepid duo to save the day. But when their rescue boat meets up with the REAL cat cruise, will they keep their promise to the canines or join a far more alluring ride?

Once again, Soto gives this book just the right mix of Spanish terms sprinkled alongside English ones. At the same time, Chato and Novio Boy use phrases that sound natural and completely appropriate for the situations they find themselves in. When Chato goes to the library to watch some movies and find only flicks with titles like, "Great Dog Rescues", Chato's reaction is a heartfelt, "Man, this is sorry". The plot makes sense, comes out all right, and the last image of the two slowly cruising in their beautiful car (with the license plate "Vato Gato") brings the whole thing home.

And Susan Guevera just gets more and more creative with every Chato book she illustrates. I liked "Chato's Kitchen" okay when it first came out, but her style at that time struck me as too loose and insubstantial. It began to tighten with "Chato and the Party Animals" and finally here with "Chato Goes Cruisin'" she's hit her peak. She's grown so comfortable with her art that she's willing to shake it up a bit for the sake of amusement. So you have the usual Chato kookiness, but also some very cool black and white comic strips on the bottom of some of the pages to give you a little insight into Chato and Novio Boy's heads. There are also countless amusing details all over this book just waiting for you to find them. When the dogs greet them at the dock, for example, the comic strip on the page shows a flag pointing to their dock with a dog head, and another flag with a cat head pointed in the opposite direction. When our heroes can't sleep for all the howling, they might have been cheered had they known that a cut-away of the boat shows a pack of very busy mice toiling relentlessly in the kitchen. Yum. Then there are the details that I think make it work the best. Novio Boy retains his title as the sexiest cat in children's literature (check out the shot of him lifting weights). And both he and Chato sport some mighty fine facial hair, making them the only felines I can think of to sport goatees and `staches in picture book fare.

Hard to object to anything in this book, really. If you enjoyed the first two installments in Chato's adventures then the best thing I can say about, "Chato Goes Cruisin'" is that it does its predecessors proud. Funny, filled with great slang in English and Spanish alike, and just a rousing adventure, it's the best of the "Chato" lot and a fine fine purchase.

If you missed Gary Soto's short stories the first time around, here's your chance to enjoy a great collection of his older pieces along with some new ones. While Soto makes it look easy, his series of generally two- to three-page recollections are a primer on how to see the things people walk past, overlook or forget, the things right in front of you. From stories pulled straight from his childhood in Fresno and reflections on growing up to the present, Soto's gift is evoking what he's seen and felt and combining it all in honest, vivid prose. In The Effects of Knut Hamsun on a Fresno Boy you will find writing that is sad, funny and sadly funny. It contains insights that are both personal and universal. Soto is not only a teriffic "Chicano writer," but, a teriffic writer without any categorical qualifier.

Essayist and poet Soto provides a series of sketches and vignettes In The Effects Of Knut Hamsun On A Fresno Boy which includes the contents of two previous works in addition to five recent essays published in different journals. The result is a smorgasbord of images and reflections on social issues, growing up in California, and moments of Soto's Latino youth.