Gary Soto Books

My 95% Hispanic charter high school students (both male and female) enjoyed this book. They liked Lincoln and Mitsuo and said they'd like to go to Japan if given the opportunity. They thought the summer was best time,because they said they'd be scared that school would be too hard there. Two English as a Second Language students are anxiously awaiting the copy in Spanish read to be sure that they didn't miss anything crucial in the novel. I ordered it in December and it hasn't arrived yet.

Pacific crossing

I recommend this book to the people that like karate and people that like books about things that they do in China. In this book there are two friend named Lincoln and Tony. They live in San Francisco. Their principle asked them if they wanted to go to Japan, and they said that they would go. So they got on a jet and met two families that they will be live with for a little bit. When they got there they met the families and then got to work in the family's land. There was one other boy with Lincoln named Mistuo. They were friends for a long time. They learned many things about Chin. And their way of life they also went to school there and after 6 weeks, the two boys went back to their families.

It is a really good concept for a book - two boys spending the summer in Japan and if some of the ideas had been expanded, Crossing Pacific could have been a very interesting book. But instead it just skims over the surface, with no details to really interest the reader. There are no conflicts between Lincoln and his host family - they manage to speak impecable English. He teaches them American slang and practices kempo. There is no development of Mitsuo's interest in baseball or how they can all speak English so well. It might be interesting for younger students looking for a quick read, but if you want more details about a summer spent in Japan, look elsewhere!

I liked this book because it gives a sense of true being and grace. A Great read

A Review by Geoff

This book is about a boy named Lincoln and his friend Tony. They are two Mexican-American teenagers who live in San Francisco and get the opportunity to go to Japan on a foreign-exchange student program. Lincoln stays with Mr.Ono and his family and he studies martial arts with their son Mitsuo. Lincoln is very good and is trying to become a black belt. Lincoln and Tony have an amazing experience in Japan and they have a lot of fun. Lincoln and Mitsuo have lot's of fun and they both work hard in the families fields.

The first thing that I liked about this book was that it's really fun and the book has a fast pace so you don't get bored but it's not too fast so that you don't get lost. The second thing that I like about this book is that Mr.Ono is a big funny man who gives the book some good comic relief. The third thing I liked about this book were the characters because all of them seem so real like they are real people in some far off place in the east. The characters help paint a vivid picture of Japan.

I think that this book would appeal to people who want to enjoy a good martial arts foreign action book.

I teach English Language Arts in East Los Angeles and I have found that books by Gary Soto get and keep the attention of my 12 year old seventh graders. He speaks to all teens especially the Latinos. My students will be reading several of his books and short stories this coming Fall. I especially look forward to a class reading of the play, "Nerdlandia." Just like his other play, "Novio Boy," Soto creates real characters and interesting situations to motivate the English As A Second Language (ESL) student to enjoy reading and writing. Even though some of his plots are a little predictable, the students love the stories and the characters. You fall in love with the characters, like Ceci and Martin, and don't want the story to end.

and all of the other characters, and that "something" is very lovable and appealing. No, I'm not a ninth-grader. I am an adult who owns a business, and no, I am not a Latina -- but I still thought this play was EXCELLENT!!! A modern take on "GREASE" that tickled the funnybone and touched the heart at the same time -- and gotta love that final scene with Martin's amigo, Tito.
I plan on buying -- and reading -- Gary Soto's other play NOVIO BOY next! I love theater, and I love reading plays, and this play deserves an AWARD (A nice touch is the name of the hero, because in my "real life," I have had crushes on FOUR guys named Martin!)Gary S. is a playwright whose talent is UNPARALLELED, and I recommend NERDLANDIA for all humor aficionados, romantics, and theater buffs from 14-114. Author! Author!!!

Good play for teenagers. Likable original characters and good dialogue. It was entertaining but disappointing because of its predictability and much used sitcom plot.

This is a good story. I hope you like it when you read it. I did. I would read it again and again. I am not going to give away the ending for you. I will only tell you that it is about a girl who wants to be class president. Vote for Miata!

Off and Running is about Miata, a girl who wants to be president of her school. She is running against Rudy. She wants to win to make the school a better place but Rudy only wants to do things that are not going to help the school. This is really a great book. I think you should read this book to find out who will win. It is funny.

"Off and Running" is a quick read with pleasant characters and vignettes, but although the central event--the election for student body president--should quicken the pulse, it fails to. Everyone is just too nice. Miata, the very serious girl, is portrayed fairly realistically, as are her modest goals if she should be elected (sprucing up the school, creating a "lake of flowers" around it). Her opponent, Rudy, is a buffoon, but not a nasty one, which is not so realistic. No one gets hurt very much, and there are no hard feelings, which, given the intensity of children's emotions, is a little hard to believe. If only it were so simple! Of particular interest is Miata's desire to connect to older, successful politicians, to learn from them.

No child will have nightmares from having read this book, and it's possible that it might inspire a little desirable imitation. It's not demanding and will help children maintain reading skills during the summer.

"Big Bushy Mustache" combines text by Gary Soto with illustrations by Joe Cepada. They tell the story of Ricky, a young Latino boy. His teacher is planning to have the class put on a play about Cinco de Mayo, and Ricky will get to wear a costume mustache. But Ricky gets into a jam when he disobeys the teacher's instructions.

This is a fun book with an effective Latino flavor. Ricky is an engaging young hero. However, there is a weird gender identity subtext surrounding Ricky's feelings about the mustache; in my opinion, this aspect of the story is handled awkwardly. Otherwise this is a good choice for a multicultural collection of children's books.

Cesar Chavez and his family moved up and down California to work on farms. It was a hard life. Kids made fun of Cesar Chavez because he could only speak Spanish and wore raggedy clothes.

Because of what he saw as a kid, he wanted to help the farm workers. He wanted to make it so others did not have so suffer the way he and has family had.

I liked this book because it showed how one person can make a big difference. The one thing I did not like about this book is that it had some words that were hard to pronounce.

I would recommend this book to kids that are 10-14 years old. Although I had a hard time with some of the words, I think it is important for people to learn about Cesar Chavez.

FACTS OF LIFE is a collection of short stories presenting a variety of adolescent views on growing up. Moving from childhood to adulthood is a completely unique experience, special to each individual. Gary Soto takes readers into the minds of ten teens and pre-teens and a defining moment in each of their lives.

There is Lisa Torres, who suddenly realizes what her world of poverty really looks like to others. She learns that her personal fascination and appreciation of nature and the works of John Audubon may not be shared by those around her.

Ana Hernandez finds her world turned upside down when another Ana Hernandez appears at her school. The new Ana is admired and worshipped, while the old Ana is lost in the crowd. She learns about the importance of popularity the hard way, by losing it.

In other stories from the collection, readers will meet Hector, who must suddenly decide which of his divorcing parents' homes he will call his own. Rachael experiences the "wild side" when a new babysitter shows even less maturity and responsibility than Rachael's little seven-year-old brother. In "Citizen of the World," Laurita is exposed to the controversy of the illegal immigrant situation, and in "D in English" Ryan realizes it is time to take the world around him more seriously and become a young man instead of a little child.

Together, these stories merge to form a touching and honest look at what it means to take the giant step toward being an adult. The confusion, the disappointment, and the challenge of taking this step are evident as Gary Soto masterfully creates his characters and their true-to-life experiences.

Reviewed by: Sally Kruger, aka "Readingjunky"

This book is a collection of short stories about Mexican-American teens in California, but the themes and the things they do could apply to anyone. Reading this book, you watch their transition into adulthood, the loss of innocence and the pain that comes with it. The stories are all very different. There is the story of a girl who tries to buy back all the clothes of her mother's her father gave away when her mother died. There is the story of a hardworking, honest boy, and his cousin, who flees when the going gets rough, but comes back for the glory. But all the stories weave a complicated picture that will leave you sighing wistfully at the end.

Fernie and his best friend are world travelers in this book of poetry. Each poem is approximately 1 page long, and is about a different world location - San Francisco, Japan, Australia, Kenya, etc. I felt that the book captured a bit of each place through the poems, and that they were humorous and fun as well. For someone with an interest in poetry, geography, travel, or humor, this book would be a great gift idea or introduction to these topics. I generally dislike reading poetry but was drawn into this book because of the cute drawings and theme of travel. It was quite a nice read, although the final page - about California geography didn't seem to fit. Recommended.

I was really bored with *Afterlife*, despite the fact I was really looking forward to my first read of Gary Soto's.

Chuy tries to impress a girl at school. However, his attempt is not appreciated by another boy and is stabbed to death.

Throughout the remainder of the book, he, as a ghost, hovers around his loved ones to see them grieve for him and soon recognizes that he was loved by everyone.

At the same time, he soon meets a troubled girl, who is also a ghost. He soon realizes that he has fallen in love with her.

That's just about it, which is probably why it's such a short book. There's not much substance in it, conflicts and whatnots.

Nah, don't waste your time with this book.

I read this novel while studying Latino authors for a multicultural project. To begin with, this novel was the first one I read by Gary Soto and I really enjoyed it. The novel kept my attention and upon reflection I can see how Soto's love of poetry influences his writing.The Afterlife vivid imagery places the reader in the setting. The reader can almost expereince the smells and the sounds of the city. I believe the story started off strong but the conclusion of the novel is weak. Questions are left unanswered. Some of Soto's other works such as his short stories in Baseball in April offer stronger resolution and are more satisfying. Still, I recommend The Afterlife for young adult readers. The themes of friendship, compassion and romance will keep young readers interested in the outcome.

"The Afterlife" by Gary Soto was a facinating, well written book. Chuy was murderd in Club Estrella. A man in yellow shoes who shares the same name as Chuy murders Chuy after a comment"I like your shoes" Chuy said. Then the man in yellow shoes just starts stabbinhg Chuy three times to his xchest and back. Chuy shares with us the experience he had being a ghost. He met a girl that was also a ghost and fell in love with her. Then he satrted to meet other ghost and try to comfort them about being a gohst which he thought was fun. H liked the idea of walking through people and buildings and making people feel his cold presence. He found it fun being a gohst and finds out his body is vanishing away. I loved this book sand recommend it for everyone.

The Afterlife by Gary Soto was a fascinating book. In the story, a man with yellow shoes has murdered Chuy. The book is about Chuy, and his thoughts and actions in the afterlife. Now being a ghost, he can pass through buildings and people, but his touch leaves behind a cold chill. The story is fascinating because you feel sorry for him, and his lost life. You can understand his emotions. Chuy is an average kid who tries to do good in his afterlife, to make things better for at least one person. It is also about his meeting with other ghosts and the impacts he has on them. I liked this book because it makes you think about what you would do as a ghost. The story was really well told, and Gary Soto puts you into the life of this kid. I recommend this book to anyone who can stand blood and gore, but likes a happy ending. It was a great read and you don't want to put it down until you've finished.

Although I find _The Afterlife_ to be a somewhat mediocre (if unique) book, I have had several students in my classes read this and respond with much enthusiasm. It is important to keep in mind that adults are not the target audience here, and there is something that really grabs the interest of male adolescent readers, at least those in my classes who have read this book.

As a teacher of often reluctant readers, I am always keeping my eyes open for interesting new books, not just from lists of recommended reading, but by seeking input from my students as well. This is how I was first introduced to _The Afterlife_ by Gary Soto. One of my students read the book and began to recommend it to others. After reading _The Afterlife_, many students have responded that it is one of the best, if not the best book they have ever read.

Several students read the book, then I decided it was time to read it for myself. I was disappointed. However, after reflecting, I could see the appeal for my students. In order to attempt to define the appeal, I need to explain the basic plot.

The main character, Chuy, a young Latino, is stabbed and killed after complimenting another teenager's yellow shoes. His spirit leaves his body, and his spirit slowly begins to pass into the next world. However, he is still able to move around and observe his world without being seen. Along the way, he meets a young lady who has also left her body and become a spirit.

If all of this sounds fantastic, it is, but although it can be unusual, Soto never lets his book become sensational.

I believe the reason this novel holds the interest of my students is that it focuses on one of the deepest desires of teenagers: the desire to stand back and analyze their world without the world looking back at them, the desire to do good things without considering "image" or the disapproval of their peers, the desire to establish a relationship with a member of the opposite sex without the discomfort of their own body always getting in the way. In fact, although Chuy seems like a good guy before his death, he is better able to define his world, does some of his kindest acts, and forms more meaningful relationships after.

By the time we are adults, most of us have established a certain balance in our lives. It only stands to reason that a book like _The Afterlife_ appeals less to adults than those who are in the midst of a time in their lives that can seem very unbalanced at times. I give this book four stars based on the average between the three it would receive from me and the five it would receive from my students if they were writing this review.

Living up the Street (Book Review)


A boy growing up without a father. The only thing Gary knew was violence. By the age of five he was already stealing, beating people up, and trying to set houses on fire. He'd get into fights with his brother just for the fun of it. Gary lives in a bad neighborhood with a lot of Mexicans. He's always getting into trouble by his mom and never listens to anybody. His Family have been living here for a long time ever since their mom and dad was a little girl. After a while Gary, surprisingly, tries to look for work. He doesn't really earn that much money but he still does it for a long time. Then his mom decides to send Gary to a catholic school because she said he was a little devil and needed to go to church. At first it didn't change him but slowly but surely he began to change. He became less mischievous and more polite. He didn't get into much trouble anymore and instead just entered in arts and crafts at the park where a coach taught them. Gary liked sports and he and his brother tried out for the little league baseball team. They tried out three times and never had they made the team. They thought they were going to make it but unfortunately they didn't. Gary eventually got on a baseball team but it wasn't little league. It was a recreation al league that only had two teams. Gary's team always lost to the same opponent over and over. Gary was a growing boy so eventually the hormones of puberty started to kick in. One week he would like one girl and the next week he would like another. When he was about sixteen he volunteered to help little kids at the playground kind of like a new coach. Even though he was a teenager he made lots of friends. The kids played with him like he was one of them. In high school Gary joined the wrestling team. He wasn't that bad at wrestling but he wasn't the best. During the summer he decided to work at his moms work that actually paid very well even though they were harvesting crops in the fields. His brothers and sister eventually joined him because they needed money for school clothes. One day Gary and his friend were being stupid and decided to rob a house. They did but had to leave town to not get caught. Their own guilt eventually lead them to return all of the valuable merchandise. Some while later Gary got married to a girl named Carolyn. They moved to Mexico and didn't make very much money. They still lived happily and that's the thing that counts. I recommend this book to people who like autobiographies and like adventure. This book is a fun to read book that a lot of people can relate to.

The first reason I enjoyed this book was because of the detail in all of the events. For example when Gary tried to set the house on fire. It explained how all the kids were fascinated with fire and how fire basically hypnotized them. How the angry fire made them crazy and want to set everything on fire. The TV did the same thing. They would just sit there as lifeless that anybody could be when they're alive. The book explained how they would bring a bowl of chips to eat during the movie and by the time they finished watching the bowl was untouched. Last example is during the arts and crafts session. The book told how Gary enjoyed doing arts and crafts for the coach and how he wanted to win badly. Gary also thought he was the best of the best of arts and crafts.

The next reason why I liked the book was the suspense. When Gary and his friend robbed the place they stayed longer than they expected. The whole time I thought they were going to get found out but noone came. They even left blood at the crime scene so I definitely thought they were going to get found out then. Even when they left something had to go wrong. A branch got caught under the car and made a whole lot of noise. Another time the book was suspenseful was when Gary's mom heated a fork red hot and threatened to poke them with it. I thought she was actually going to do it because of all the bad things that Gary had already done. She sounded like she was pretty close to doing it because she already whooped all the others for trying to burn the house down. The final example would be when Gary was about to ask a girl out. He was walking back and forth because someone had told him that she liked him. He was walking up to her to ask her out but then his friend came up to him and told him that she liked another Gary.

Last but not least the final reason I liked the book was because of the action. One day when Jimmy was at the playground the playground bully told Gary to play with him or else. So they got into a fight that Gary lost and received a bloody nose. Surprisingly afterwards they made friends with each other even after the huge fight. Next would have to be when Gary was in the sixth grade. He created a gang called the "Mexicans" that consisted obviously all of them were Mexican. They lived by a code that was that you had to hate the "surfer" people. The "surfers" consisted of seventh grade wannabe surfers who probably have never seen the ocean before. One day both groups got into a huge fight that was only stopped because teachers were spotted. The "Mexicans" lost because they were way smaller and a lot weaker than a lot of the seventh graders. Finally the last event was when Gary tried out for the baseball team. He messed up a lot and didn't play his best but there was still action. Whenever he tried to catch the he'd have to dive or jump to get it. When it was his turn to bat he hit several fly balls but a lot of them were foul balls.

People who like autobiographies will love this book. It's fun to read and very exciting. Even though Gary's life wasn't perfect he got around obstacles big and small. This book can teach a lot people out there to appreciate their own life because they are very lucky. Gary didn't turn out perfect but he tried as best as he could and that's better than most people out there. Gary didn't even have a father when he was young and he still turned out to be a very polite and honorable gentleman. So enjoy life because if Gary can do it then you can.

D. Bennett

Its a good book for teens to read if they can't find any other good book on their list but this book. I think that basically covers the idea.

Living Up the Street is one of many autobiographies written by Gary Soto. It tells of the ups and downs throughout his childhood, adolescence, and even adult life. This realistic book is enjoyable to read because many people can relate to one of his experiences one way or another. Though the book it without plot, sequence, or continuity, it is interesting from the very first chapter you read. This autobiography is mainly about Gary Soto, and his poor Mexican family, growing up in Fresno, California, in the 60's and 70s'. It is fun to read because it is as if you are reading and viewing someone as they grow up and mature. Through Gary's mistakes, he's learns valuable lessons for life on his own. To give you a better understanding of the book, knowing some events that occurred in the beginning will help you know how interesting it is. In the introduction, the three main characters are presents, who also happen to be all siblings. Rick, who is 6, Gary 5, and Debra 4. Most of the beginning shows the everyday family struggles they had growing up and how when the Mom, when she was angry enough, hit them with a belt after they acted up. One of the first events which happened, is when the Mom had somewhere to go and left the children home alone unattended accidentally. Since the kids loved playing with fire, they managed to burn a few items on fire inside the house and have fun with a tomato fight also, ruining the entire living room and kitchen. This is just one of many events that took place in this novel.

I had to read this nutjob of a book with the class as a freshman this year and the cover and plot review on the back of the book made it look like bird scratch but right when you start reading you'd notice it's pretty damn good. This is on of those rare books that start o be interesting from the very beginning chapter and have small chapters so you feel optimistic about reading alot of sections of the book and feel a sense of almost finished.

Living up the Street
by Gary Soto
Peer Review
Living up the Street is an autobiography by Gary Soto. Those who love autobiographies will love this novel. One of the reasons I liked this book is because Gary has some very interesting events that occur in his life. Sometimes those events can be quite hilarious, and other times he makes you wonder why he was doing the crazy things he did. Gary not only learns from his mistakes, he also applies what he learns to other problems he encounters throughout his life.
I generally like reading autobiographies because I get to see what another person's life was like and I get to see what problems they faced in life. Then I try to figure out how I can use their problem and solution to make my life better. Another thing I like about reading autobiographies is that it can be fun learning what happened on another person's life. For those of you who hate autobiographies, I think you will still like this novel because Gary's life is very interesting.
The difficulty level was not very high at all because he rarely used highly sophisticated words in his writing. He randomly used Spanish words throughout the book. That increased the length of the book for me because there were some words I did not know the meaning to. Overall, I would say that the novel is not very long and it is very intriguing.