Lifestyles Nature & Architecture: Mexican Weekend Homes (Lifestyle, Nature & Architecture)

Book Description

In this rousing account of the first true cowboys, Newbery Medalist Russell Freedman brings to life the days when the vaqueros rounded up cattle, brought down steers, and tamed wild broncos. In the service of wealthy Spanish conquistadors in the sixteenth century, Mexican ranch hands began herd-
ing cattle, often riding barefoot. They soon developed and perfected the skills for this dangerous work and became expert horsemen. Hundred of years later the vaqueros shared their expertise with the inexperienced cowboys of the American West, who adopted their techniques and their distinctive clothing, tools, and even lingo. Yet today it is the cowboy whom we remember, while the vaquero has all but disappeared from history.
The vaqueros are at last given their due in this dramatic narrative, lushly illustrated with beautiful period paintings and drawings.

Customer Reviews:

First true cowboys.......2007-01-05

Finally a young persons book with a different perspective on cowboys. The origins and role of the vaquero in America is discussed in a scholarly and insightful manner geared for young readers. If you are looking for a book about the traditional view of the cowboy than look elsewhere. The author, Russell Freedman does an excellent job describing how the Vaqueros were the first of their kind, their role in rodeos, where and how they lived on haciendas and ranchos, what they did at rodeos , the tools they used , the contests and games and the last of the vaqueros. These original cowherders were poor Indian laborers who were subject to the rich Spanish land owners who dominated the landscape of America after the conquest by the European Spaniards. This book is a good history lesson about life in the southwest and Mexico(one and the same at this particular point in history)during Spanish rule. This book is an excellent choice for a classroom or library in the middle or high school level for further enrichment in the education process. Limited English speaking students may find the language difficult but there are many Spanish words intersperced throughout the lessons to draw their interest. The drawings and photographs are well done; I only wish this book was presented in a larger format. This is a good book for a student to write a book report on and share the information within to the class. Highly recommended for students and adults alike who enjoy history.

In The days of the Vaqueros.......2005-12-20

In The Days of the Vaqueros
By Russell Freedman

If you are looking for a book about horses this is not a book for you. This is a book about the Vaqueros and only the Vaqueros. This book starts out well but after a while is starts to get boring. Vaqueros were the first cowboys. They started out as slaves for the Spaniards. This book is for young adults. A kid that is 11 or older could read it but they might have trouble with it.

By Julie

A Sucessful Young Adult Book.......2002-11-02

Russell Freedman's, "In the Days of the Vaqueros" was written for young adults and in this endeavor it suceeds. It is a 70 page hard back book with numerous high quality paintings, sketches and photographs. He tells the story of the Vaqueros from the arrival of the Spanish in Mexico up to modern days. When I purchased the book, I was hoping to find a book written for adults. Yet, I was not dissapointed. The book's production values are very high and I really enjoyed the art work.

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Emma's Review
Austin the great has a review
Under the Same Sky
Powerful
See How the Rest of the World Lives

Under the Same Sky
Cynthia DeFelice
Manufacturer: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0374480656
Release Date: 2005-03-24

Book Description

A teenager discovers racism and romance on his father’s farm

For his fourteenth birthday, Joe Pedersen wants a motorbike that costs nearly a thousand dollars. But his mom says the usual birthday gift is fifty dollars, and his dad wants Joe to earn the rest of the money himself and “find out what a real day’s work feels like.” Angry that his father doesn’t think he’s up to the job, Joe joins the Mexican laborers who come to his father’s farm each summer. Manuel, the crew boss, is only sixteen, yet highly regarded by the other workers and the Pedersen family. Joe’s resentment grows when his father treats Manuel as an equal. Compared with Manuel, Joe knows nothing about planting and hoeing cabbage and picking strawberries. But he toughs out the long, grueling days in the hot sun, determined not only to make money but to gain the respect of his stern, hardworking father. Joe soon learns about the problems and fears the Mexicans live with every day, and, before long, thanks to Manuel, his beautiful cousin Luisa, and the rest of the crew, Joe comes to see the world in a whole different way.

In her sensitive new novel, Cynthia DeFelice explores our dependency on migrant workers and simultaneous reluctance to let these people into our country and into our lives.

Customer Reviews:

Emma's Review.......2006-12-08

Under the Same Sky
Recently, I read a great book called "Under the Same Sky" by Cynthia DeFelice. It is a realistic fiction piece set on a present day New York farm.
The book revolves around a fourteen year old boy named Joe. He is your average teenage farm boy except that he hates farming. He is working with a Mexican crew. Some of the crew members are Manuel the crew leader, Luisa his cousin whom Joe likes, Mula who is very lazy and David who has one arm. They all work for Joe's father. Joe's family is his mom, dad and two sisters- LuAnn who is older and Meg who is younger.
The story is that Joe really wants a motor bike for his birthday. So he asks his dad who is not willing to pay the $800 that the bike costs. So to teach Joe the value of a dollar, he tells him he can work with the Mexican crew on the farm this summer. Joe grudgingly accepts the offer, knowing there is no other way for a fourteen year old to earn money. At first he is very slow and bad at working in the fields. He feels that he can't keep up with everyone else. Also Joe is having a hard time concentrating on his work because he has a crush on Luisa. As the summer goes on though, Joe gets better and better at working. All of a sudden the summer is stopped with a bang. When the I.N.S comes, it is discovered that Luisa, Rafael and Frank are illegal immigrants who have to leave America. They must decide whether to stay or leave.
My favorite of the story was when Joe's mom was explaining to him about the immigration system. The author said something that everyone who is against migrant workers should hear. She talked about the fact that people think that Mexicans are stealing jobs but really there are not a lot of people in this country willing to do back breaking labor for what is considered low pay. In the story Joe's mom had placed ads in the local newspaper looking for workers, but not one person answered. That really made me think about migrant workers and illegal immigration.
I would recommend this book to anybody who is interested in stories about the plight of Mexican farm workers or if you like realistic fiction. You can learn a lot about farming and differences in people's lives and beliefs. It is a great book with an even greater message. I loved it and you probably will too.

Austin the great has a review.......2006-11-20

Austin's Book Review
LA #2 11/20/06

I read a great book titled Under The Same Sky by Cynthia DeFelice. It is a realistic fiction book that could possibly happening now somewhere in the United States. The book takes place in the countries of New York State.

The main characters in the story were Joe (the farmer's son: 14), Jim (the farm owner and Joe's dad: old), Manuel (one of the migrant workers from Mexico: 16), and Luisa (Manuel's cousin also from Mexico: 14). In the book you learn a lot about migrant workers. Like why they don't work in Mexico, why Americans give them a hard time and what they do with their paychecks. At the beginning of the book Joe doesn't really care about the migrant workers but at the end he risks his life to save them.

The main problem is when the I.N.S. (border patrol) comes to the farm to make sure all the workers went into the United States Legally. Unfortunately 3 of the workers have been caught red handed. All I can tell you is they get away without getting arrested.

My favorite part of the book is when Joe (the farmer's son) drives his father's truck on the road at 35mph on a high way where he was supposed to be going 65mph. All of a sudden a car pulls up behind his car and doesn't put in any effort to get by his. Joe is very scared so he goes faster but that was the wrong thing to do. The sirens of the police car go on and he is caught driving a unlicensed vehicle without a license. If you read the book you can find out what happens next.

This is my favorite part of the book because it keeps you hanging. It really kept me hanging probibobly like I'm keeping you hanging. After you read what happens you with be sweating with relief.

I really liked this book because it kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time I read it. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who likes books that are intense.

Under the Same Sky.......2006-11-20

I read a good book called Under the Same Sky by Cyntha Defelice. It is a realistic fiction book set in the time when many immigrants from Mexico came to the U.S.

The main characters in the story were Lusia {an immigrant and Manuel's cousin}. Joe the boss's son, who is working with immigrants. And Manuel the head of the workers {lusias cousin}.

The main problem occurs when the I.N.S. {immigration naturalization service} comes to the farm.
My favorite part was when Joe was driving the truck. This was my favorite part because it showed courage on Joe's part.

I really enjoyed this book because it showed what happed when immigrants came over to the U.S. I would highly recommend this book to people because of its descriptive dialogue and emotions of all the characters. Thus making me sit, and think about if it was me who immigrated.

Powerful.......2006-08-04

This book is awesome. I read it in one night. Everything started with a motorbike. Joe Penderson figured his parents would give it to him for his birthday. Instead,they gave him a job. Planting cabbage,picking strawberries,weeding and hoeing with a crew of Mexicans. Joe thinks it is a lousy way to spend a summer. At the end of the summer,however,he thinks differently. He realizes that no matter how people look,think and act,we are ALL under the same sky.

See How the Rest of the World Lives.......2005-05-19

I thought this was a great book. Once I started reading it, I didn't want to put it down. The characters are well-drawn, especially Joe and Luisa. The ending is quite suspenseful. The situations are thought-provoking. This is one of the best multicultural books I have ever read. I recommend it highly, especially for every American kid who feels deprived because they don't have enough.

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Vaqueros: America's First Cowmen
Martin W. Sandler
Manufacturer: Henry Holt and Co. (BYR)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0805060197

Book Description

The untold story of the Hispanic riders and ropers who created the cowboy."The men who rode the mustangs, tended the cattle, and invented all the techniques of cattle raising in America were called vaqueros and they were the world's first cowboys."Did you know that vaqueros invented ...the rodeo?the cowboy hat?chaps? and many lasso tosses?Almost everything we associate with cowboys-how they rode, roped, dressed, and lived--began with vaqueros. These Spanish-speaking cowmen developed their skills on missions and ranches throughout Mexico and the Southwest, even in Hawaii, but they have disappeared from history.Martin Sandler, author of the popular book Cowboys, extends to vaqueros his lively, informed, heavily illustrated treatment. He highlights vaquero clothing and vocabulary and shows in words and pictures vaqueros on horseback, leading roundups, branding, lassoing and tying. The book retells legends of the vaqueros and recounts true stories of vaquero valor, loyalty, heroism and courage. Readers meet Ramon Amuhada, who is in the Cowboy Hall of Fame; great ropers such as Pablo Romero and Jose Berrara; valiant riders, including Antonio Jose Esquival; and other true American heros. Vaqueros will appeal to cowboy fans across the country, and should be shelved in every library and bookstore next to books on African-American and white cowmen.

Happy Birthday, Josefina!: A Springtime Story (American Girls Collection)

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Perfect Birthday
Happy Birthday!
Excellent
A birthday surprise!!!!!!
A great new book about Josefina.

Happy Birthday, Josefina!: A Springtime Story (American Girls Collection)
Valerie Tripp , and Susan McAliley
Manufacturer: American Girl
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1562475878

Customer Reviews:

Perfect Birthday.......2006-01-07

This is an excelent book about a nine year old girl who is turning ten in the season of birth (Spring). She faces a hard situation that may take someone's life. A sad but also happy book about life then in 1824 on a New Mexican ranch.

Happy Birthday!.......2003-02-08

I think other people should read it because it's nice how her father gives her something valuable to her. Also because it's kind of fun how they repair the church. I think Josefina took good care of the goat, Sombrita. [Karla Cortez]

Excellent.......2002-10-14

This is another one of the American Girls series about Josefina Montoya, a nine-year-old girl (almost ten!) living in the New Mexico of 1824. In this book, Josefina finds joy in the work around her father's rancho, particularly nursing a newborn baby goat that has lost its mother. When she spends the day with her aunt Magdalena, the town's healer, she begins to think that she would also like to become a healer. But, there are big responsibilities that come with such a career. Tia Magdalena says that if she is to become a healer she will know...and Josefina may be about to find out!

The final chapter of this wonderful book is a highly informative look at growing up in New Mexico in 1824. And, as always, Jean-Paul Tibbles' beautiful illustrations make a wonderful addition to the text.

This book certainly goes a long way towards maintaining the tradition of excellence that one associates with the American Girls books. My daughter loves the stories, while I like the lessons that the author gently weaves throughout the book. My daughter and I both highly recommend this book to you.

A birthday surprise!!!!!!.......1999-02-03

Josefina is glad that her birthday is coming up. 9 going on to 10 was a great age to be! She could go on top of the church to replaster the church and help Tia Magandla, the healer, also her god-mother! She saved a life and got a kid named Somberetia, little shadow. To find out more, read this book!

A great new book about Josefina........1998-09-06

Josefina Montoya is a young girl living on a New Mexican ranch. She wants to be a healer like her godmother, Tia Magdalena. Tia Magdalena says she will have to wait though, to know if she is a healer. In the mean time, Josefina takes care of an orphaned baby goat, and has fun with her Puebloe Indian friend, Mariana. But one day when the girls are playing, Mariana gets a snakebite that could prove fatal, and this will be Josefina's test - can she be a healer? The next day, Josefina's tenth birthday is a celebration of bravery and second chances.

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Fun read for young adults (or the young adult inside you)
Flojos Unite!!! This is a MUST read for the youth in you!
Buy this book!
A great example of being true to yourself
Hispanic Girls Will Love This Book!!!!

Honey Blonde Chica
Michele Serros
Manufacturer: Simon Pulse
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1416915915

Book Description

Evie Gomez is one chill chica. She and best friend Raquel hang with the Flojos, a kick-back crew named for their designer flip-flops. And their habit of doing absolutely nothing.

But the return of long-lost amiga mejor Dee Dee wrecks Evie and Raquel's Flojo flow. A few years in Mexico City have transformed their shy, skinny, brunette Dee Dee into a Sangro nightmare. Dee Dee has reinvented herself as "Dela," complete with tight designer threads, freaky blue contacts, and that signature blonde hair.

When Raquel wants precisely nada to do with the new Dela, Evie finds herself caught between two very different friends. At heart, is Evie a Cali-casual Flojo chick or a sexy Sangro diva? How's a chica to choose?

Customer Reviews:

Fun read for young adults (or the young adult inside you).......2006-09-30

Ahhh, to be a teenager again; the friendships that can turn on a moment's notice, the puppy love, the parties, the self discovery... all universal themes but written about with a twist in Honey Blonde Chica. It's very refreshing to read a young adult novel where the main characters are Latino, yet the focus isn't on discrimination or financial hardships, but rather just being a teenager. Like another reviewer said, those books certainly are important and have their place, but Honey Blonde Chica is a nice change.

Flojos Unite!!! This is a MUST read for the youth in you!.......2006-09-21

Michele Serros successfully encapsulates the inner conflicts and frienship demands of adolescents with a dash of conflict and a Latinidad twist. Clever Spanish slang weaved in between teenage "hip" lingo makes for a fun read about how one girl, Evie, struggles with the pressures of high school. Her socio-economic status, surburan family lifestyle, and beachside residence illustrates a different Mexican-American youth than we are used to reading. It's refreshing! And necessary. The emphasis on Mexican culture underlying the message in this book clearly demonstrates Serros' ability to unite experiences. You will find many similarities to the characters in this book, regardless of where you're from or how long ago you were in high school. Satisfy your curiosity and buy this innovative and thoughtful novel. Read the book then buy it for your daughter, your niece and all of the Latina youth you know. They will thank you.

Buy this book!.......2006-08-28

"Honey Blond Chica" is a very thoughtful and insightful book that succeeds in offering an honest portrayal of teen-age life, and doesn't talk down to the reader. The pressures of sex are discussed openly in a chapter that articulates the fears and anxieties, but also the potent cocktail of emotions, which make up teen-aged life. Young readers will enjoy this book whether they even know what a "chica" is or not, as the teen-age experience if fairly universal. However, young second and third generation Latino readers will find bits of life with which to relate that are sorely lacking in the literary field (especially young adult novels!). Michele Serros is an excellent writer and young readers will quickly consume this novel as they anticipate the second in the series which will soon be on shelves. Kudos to Serros for writing a novel for the young Latino audiences in America. Usually books are only written that shoot for extremely young audiences or older audiences, completely missing the untapped teen-aged Latin audience. Here's to hoping that this novel is the start of a trend of young adult Latino novels!

A great example of being true to yourself.......2006-08-22

Michele Serros has always been my favorite writer, since I read her book How to be a Chicana Role Model. So it was natural for me to read her new book Honey Blonde Chica in less than a week just like I did with the other two. I love this story because anyone can relate to Evie(The main character) because I think that everyone has gone through that stage in your life where you want to be cool and fit in and sometimes you let peer pressure affect you. I love this book because it shows another perspective of Latinos, a different culture, a little bit mixed with living in the U.S. but staying true to yourself and your culture. The humor that Michele Serros uses is so cute because she speaks from a teenager point of view. I also wish I had this book when I was 16 to read and be guided by. I strongly recommend this book to everyone because it's a great book and you will have fun reading it.

Hispanic Girls Will Love This Book!!!!.......2006-08-21

Being that I'm a older hispanic girl, I really enjoyed this book! I would have liked to have this book as a teen.

The girls were true to form. About how they talk and treat friends. I thought this was just a good read. And am looking forward to the next book.

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A great book told from a refreshingly different perspective
Local News Review
Local News
a good book overall but with an intended audience

Local News: Stories
Gary Soto
Manufacturer: Harcourt Paperbacks
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 015204695X

Book Description

In thirteen stories full of wit and energy, Gary Soto illuminates the ordinary lives of young people. Meet Angel, who would rather fork over twenty bucks than have photos of his naked body plastered all over school; Philip, who discovers he has a "mechanical mind," whatever that means; Estela, known as Stinger, who rules José's heart and the racquetball court; and many other kids, all of them with problems as big as only a preteen can make them.
Funny, touching, and wholly original, Local News is Gary Soto in top form.

Customer Reviews:

A great book told from a refreshingly different perspective.......2007-09-23

It is so very difficult to find books that Latino youth can relate to. The short stories in this book give the reader a glimpse into life in immigrant communities without harping on problems. I brought a copy of this book into my sixth grade class last year and it changed many of my students' perspectives on reading. Many of them read a chapter book for the first time in their lives, and continued reading for pleasure for the rest of the year. I will never forget the looks of surprise on their faces when I read a chapter out loud. They were in shock that there were books in which the characters talked like their families and dealt with subject matter they encountered in their lives. They gobbled up (and fought over) every Gary Soto book I brought into the classroom from then on, and eventually became interested in reading a wide variety of books. Their end of year exam scores improved dramatically, and I believe that at least some of this improvement was because of this book.

While there are some good children's books that touch on the experiences of immigrants and Chicanos, they usually just include characters named "Pedro" and toss in a few Spanish words. By unapologetically including Chicano slang and themes common in immigrant communities, this book validates the existence of young Latinos/Chicanos/Mexicanos and gives them a reason to WANT to read. While it does not fill it completely, it begins to fill a tremendous gap that exists in children's literature. Every 5th grade+ literature teacher working with Latino children should definitely have at least one copy in their classroom libraries. Even non-Latinos should enjoy Soto's entertaining method of telling stories.

Local News Review.......2006-01-25

In Local News, each chapter is a different story, where each main character has a different message to tell. Although the messages are pretty clear, some you have to do a little thinking for .It's like each chapter is a mini story.
Some of the more interesting stories are: "Blackmail", " The Raiders Jacket", " The Mechanical Mind",and " New Year's Eve.
In Blackmail, a boy named Angel was innocently taking a shower after a hard day of playing baseball in 90 degree heat in a Mexican American communtiy in Fresno. It doesn't seem all that dangerous, but when you have an evil older brother, who has years of a mean streak, every shower is potentially rep-threatening. When his brother( cleverly nicknamed Weasel)snapshots him naked in the shower, and threatens to use it as Blackmail, Angel will literally give his right arm to get it back.
In the Raider's Jacket, a girl named Lorena livs in Fresno with her BFF, Guadalupe. Lorena likes this guy named Eddie, and aparently, he likes her too! She knows this because he gave her his jacket. Lorena is too busy day-dreaming in Biology, that she accidentally leaves the Raider's Jacket there over the weekend! When she returns for it, i tis gone! This starts the beginning of a frantic chase to get the prized jacket back.
In the Mechanical Mind, a guy in Fresno(in case you haven't figured out that they all take place in Fresno)named Phil thinks he has a mechanical mind when he goes on a winning streak of fixing things. But does he know that he is a little too ahead of his game?
In all, this book was ok, not great but not horrible.It was short, easy reading at about a 5th of 6th grade level.

Local News.......2000-12-01

Recently, I gained the privilege to read a book that was written by Gary Soto. The book that I read was entitled, Local News. Throughout this short book, Gary describes 11 different situations that are common for teenagers growing up in Hispanic neighborhoods. I will give a brief, yet detailed description of five of my favorite stories.

Chapter #1: Blackmail Blackmail was about a dispute between two teenage brothers. The setting takes place in a primarily Hispanic neighborhood located in California. Angel, who was the younger brother, found himself being picked on by his older brother named Javier. (Javier's nickname was Weasel) One day while Angel was taking a shower, Weasel snuck into the bathroom and took a picture of Angel, who obviously was bare-naked. Weasel threatened to show the picture to all of the girls at school if he did not give him $20.00. Angel, who was extremely angry yelled, `You punk, I'm going to get you!' His threat was worthless though. His older brother had absolutely no fear of him. Angel was very nervous because he didn't have $20.00 to give him, nor would he want to waste that much money on such a stupid joke. Finally, when Weasel realized that Angel wasn't capable of paying the ransom, he forced him to do his chores instead. Although Angel resented doing his brother's chores, he accepted the job. In the end, Weasel began to feel sorry for his younger brother and gave him the picture back.

Chapter #3: First Job

This chapter was about a 13-year-old boy named Alex. The setting took place on a hot summer day. Alex, who was the main character, had an older brother and sister and one younger brother. Both of his older siblings had jobs and were making money, which made Alex jealous. One day, Alex was asked to rake and burn some leaves for a woman named Mrs. Martinez. She offered him one dollar therefore he accepted the job. After Alex was finished raking the leaves in a pile, he lit a match and started the pile on fire. Just then, he realized that he had left his younger brother alone at home. Therefore, he decided to run home to make sure he was content. While he was away from the fire, it spread to Mrs. Martinez's deck. This event added some suspense to the story. When Alex returned to her house, a neighbor was already there and had the fire under control. Due to the fire, Mrs. Martinez was very angry and refused to pay Alex for the job. Unfortunately, that was Alex's first experience of having a job.

Chapter #4: El radio This chapter was about two teenage girls who had a small party together. The event took place in Patricia's home on a Friday night; her parents were not home. The other character, who was named Melinda, came over to listen to the radio with Patricia. As the two girls listened to the radio, they started to act crazy. Consequently, they spilled a bucket of popcorn and made a mess. When their parents returned home they were angry with the two girls. Finally, the girls were able to cheer up their parents by doing something very unique. You will have to read the story to discover what happened. This chapter possessed an exiting theme because it described the friendship of two girls.

Chapter #5: Push-up Push-up was the name of Carmen's new kitten. Carmen was a young girl living in a Spanish-American community. Her new kitten was very cute and was always receiving the family's attention. That made their other cat jealous. Therefore, it always fought with Push-up. One day, Carmen brought her kitten to school with her to protect him from the other cat. I thought that was an extremely risky idea. Therefore, I feel that this story contained a high level of suspense. When she and her kitten arrived at school, she secretly placed it in the ball container. Carmen felt bad for the kitten and said, `It will be ok, it is for your own good.' As the day passed by, Carmen struggled keeping the kitten a secret. In order to learn what happened to her and her cat, I suggest that you read this story.

Chapter #10: Nickel-A-Pound Plane Ride The main character of this story was Araceli. Araceli was a twelve-year-old with skin the color of brown sugar. Her dream was to fly in an airplane. One day, she finally got her chance. When she climbed into the plane's passenger area, she noticed that the engine was very loud. Therefore, she became a little nervous. As the plane began to take off, she became even more nervous when it rocked back and forth. She gradually began to feel unsafe. After the ride was over, she realized that flying was not all that she hoped it would be. The theme of this story was sad. The setting was on a cold rainy day, which gave the story a gloomy effect. When Araceli realized that she did not like flying, I was disappointed because it was her dream to fly.

After reading Local News by Gary Soto, I now have a better understanding of what a typical teenager's life was like in Spanish-American communities. Although this book was simple and easy to read, I feel that I have benefited from reading it because Gary Soto did an outstanding job of displaying each character's styles and traits in their everyday environment. If you are interested in learning about Spanish-American communities, I recommend reading this book.

a good book overall but with an intended audience.......2000-04-24

I read "Local News" for my college Children's Literature course. The teacher assigned it for the week on multi-cultural literature. The book itself was okay, but I believe it has a limited audience. Gary Soto wrote the book for two purposes. One was to show everyone that Mexican-American children are really no different than any other children. The second was to provide Mexican-American children with literature that contained Mexican-American characters, kids that they felt they could relate to. So, in that aspect, it was a good book. I would highly recommend it to anyone specifically looking for Mexican-American characters or for any parents or teachers looking to teach their children and students about kids in other cultures and to broaden their horizons.

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buried onions by rm
Dreaming big, overcoming big obstacles
The Greatest book I've RED!!!
Violence, Sex and Girls
Buried Onions

Buried Onions
Gary Soto
Manufacturer: Harcourt Children's Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0152013334

Amazon.com

Eddie can always smell onions in the air--the sharp bitter odor of hopelessness and anger that haunts the poor side of Fresno. "I had a theory about those vapors, which were not released by the sun's heat but by a huge onion buried under the city. This onion made us cry. Tears leapt from our eyelashes and stained our faces." Eddie tries to escape from the poverty and gang society that surrounds him by taking vocational classes and staying away from his old "cholos," (gang friends). But when his cousin is killed, his aunt urges him to seek out and punish the murderer. To avoid the pressure building in his neighborhood, Eddie takes a landscaping job in an affluent suburb. But this too goes awry when his boss's truck is stolen while in his care. In the end, with his money gone and a dangerous gang member stalking him, Eddie's only choice is to join the military and hope that they can give him a better future than the one Fresno seems to offer.

There is no tidy closure--certainly no happy ending--to this bleak novel. But that is exactly what gives Buried Onions its strong, acidic flavor. Teens with a low tolerance for any type of pretense will appreciate Gary Soto's honesty in not trying to force a fairy-tale ending. In spare but always striking prose, Soto has written an unrelentingly grim story that teens will savor because it rings true. (Ages 13 and older) --Jennifer Hubert

Book Description

For Eddie there isn’t much to do in his rundown neighborhood but eat, sleep, watch out for drive-bys, and just try to get through each day. His father, two uncles, and his best friend are all dead, and it’s a struggle not to end up the same way. The violence makes Fresno wallow in tears, as if a huge onion with its ubiquitous vapors were buried beneath the city. Making an effort to walk a straight line despite constant temptations and frustrations, Eddie searches for answers after the death of his cousin and discovers that his closest friends may be his worst enemies.

Customer Reviews:

buried onions by rm.......2007-06-14

I can easily say that "Buried Onions" is one of the best books I've ever read in my entire life. This book was written by Gary Soto. This book to me was meant for people that like to read good books in a short period of time. WARNING the following paragraph may contain some sentences that might spoil your reading.
This book is about Eddie a young adult trying to find a good future for himself. He juggles with multiple ideas like going to the military, college, or he could just stay in the same life dragging himself to survive. I recommend this book to all people in general because this is such a good book everyone will like it. Thanks for reading this review and I hope to see you reading "Buried Onions" by Gary Soto in the future.

Dreaming big, overcoming big obstacles.......2007-04-26

Eddie's home in Fresno, California, is not exactly a happy place for him. At nineteen, he's dropped out of college, he has lost more friends than he can count to the violence that is abundant in his hometown, and his aunt is after him to avenge his cousin's death.

Eddie, unlike most of the kids he grew up with, is trying to earn an honest living, and maybe even get out of Fresno someday, and away from all of the violence that has been his life so far. But that's harder than it sounds, when you've got no money and very little education. No matter how hard Eddie struggles to change his life, people around him are always pulling him down--and there are few exceptions to that rule.

Buried Onions is a fairly quick read, but there's a lot to it, and it stays with you long after the last page.

Eddie in particular is one of a cast of three-dimensional, interesting characters whose lives are probably very different from that of most who read this powerful novel. The characters bring this sorrowful, hopeful story alive, as does Gary Soto's obvious talent for choosing just the right words to keep the reader interested in what he has to say and to get his point across eloquently.

Armchair Interviews says: Buried Onions is an honest, thought-provoking novel that should be a required reading for everyone.

The Greatest book I've RED!!!.......2006-05-08

In the book "Buried Onions", Gary Soto lets us wonder our minds and making us see how hard it is for a nineteen year old man, Eddie, trying to get away from all the violence that Fresno, California has to offer. Eddie with all the pain that he feels and all the sorrow that he feels also since his Father and his brother and now his cousin are all dead, He now wants a change in his life and with all the problems that he passed he finally reconsiders his coaches request for him to join the Marines.

Violence, Sex and Girls.......2005-12-09

Ana Garcia from Torrance, California

Have you ever wonder what the life of a Chicano youngster is? Do you know how hard it is for a 19 year old guy to try living a normal life when everything around him wants to turn him into a criminal? Do you enjoy action, guns, gangsters, gangster girls and sex in a book?
Well, if you answer yes to any of this question the book you should be reading is Buried Onions is just perfect for you. The book portraits the life of Eddie, a young guy, who only wants to work but everyone expects him to get revenge against the killer of his cousin, Jesus. Eddie had a really hard time. "To lay open my heart with all its problem, I could have gone to a priest with pleats of wisdom on his brow". This is a part of the book in which he really doesn't know what to do. All the advice the people are giving to him wont lead him to any good. Everyone around him wants to go and kill the killer of Jesus. It is so hard on Eddie that he cant even have sex with a girl when the named of his Eddie knows that violence will only lead him to more violence. You should read it to the end so you could find out the twist at the end of the book
This to me is a wonderful book. It is a book that once you started reading is almost impossible to let it go. The whole book will have you thinking what will happen next. You will get so into it that for moments you will forget that is a book, and you would think that it is real life. If you will ask me to rate this book from a scale o 1-10 I will with no doubt give it **10**.

Buried Onions.......2004-12-11

It's a sweltering summer and the streets of Fresno stink: like violence and onions. "This onion made us cry. Tears leapt from our eyelashes and stained our faces." Nineteen-year-old Eddie lives by himself in a decrepit apartment downtown where he is barely surviving the heat of the sun or his neighborhood. Simply living is enough to render him lethargic, but not just on account of the heat.
Having dropped out of City College, Eddie now makes a paltry living painting addresses on the curbs of rich Fresnons. There isn't much money left at the end of the day, so Eddie fills his stomach with little more than Top Ramen and cheap soda. Though he is doing his best to stay clean, trouble keeps seeking him out in his hood. Gang bangers want to jump him, a client thinks Eddie stole his truck, and his aunt wants him to knock off a cholo who supposedly killed Eddie's cousin. Growing violence and danger mixes with the heat and, in a state of near deliria, Eddie is forced to make a choice between staying in town and possibly being murdered, or escaping the only way he knows how.
Through the doubtful hero Eddie, Buried Onions depicts the narrow space between improving one's life and giving up completely. Author Gary Soto employs the setting of a highly Chicano-populated metropolis in order to illuminate the dangers and temptations waiting around every corner of the city to attack Chicano youth and drag them into disgrace-gangs, drugs, mindless sex, homicide. To Eddie, these menaces are like the vapors of a giant onion growing beneath the streets of the agricultural-oriented city, threatening to choke the city's population with hopelessness and hate.
Although Eddie often feels this sense of hopelessness in life, and although a great deal of unfair things happen to him, Eddie keeps struggling to overcome his lethargy and the rank of the onion. He hopes to separate himself from the foul fates of so many of his Chicano friends and neighbors.
Soto does not insult his readers with a blissfully happy ending. Indeed, Buried Onions proves a raw and difficult read. Yet, Buried Onions does give us a hopeful promise: free will. Soto illustrates that, even if our better option is not of the gilded Hollywood variety, even our smallest choices can give our lives direction.

Josefina Learns a Lesson: A School Story (American Girls Collection)

Average customer rating:

Josefina Learns a Lesson
A wonderful story
You can read it over and over and its interesting every time
The latest story about Josefina, the newest American Girl!

Josefina Learns a Lesson: A School Story (American Girls Collection)
Valerie Tripp , and Susan McAliley
Manufacturer: American Girl
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1562475185

Customer Reviews:

Josefina Learns a Lesson.......2007-03-07

!~Josefina learns A Lesson~!
I am writing a book called Josefina Learns a Lesson. Its about a girl who likes to read. She likes to write about her family. She has two sisters and two nephews and a dad. She gos to school to learn how to read and write better. She likes to run outside and play with her nephews. She lives in Mexico. I recommend this book to people who like to read and write. The author is Valerie Tripp .The book is from American Girl Collection. Someother characters in the collection are Kirsten, Samantha, Addy, Molly, and Felicity. There are more characters.

A wonderful story.......2002-09-13

This is another one of the American Girls series about Josefina Montoya, a nine-year-old girl (almost ten!) living in the New Mexico of 1824. When a flashflood brings disaster to her father's rancho, Josefina's aunt Dolores suggests that they begin weaving blankets that they can trade. Josefina throws herself into the work, eager to help the family, but one of her sisters is holding back, and Josefina needs to find out why.

The final chapter of this wonderful book is a highly informative look at schooling in New Mexico in 1824. Jean-Paul Tibbles' illustrations are nothing short of excellent, and add so much to this wonderful story.

This is another of the excellent stories that American Girls presents. This one also has a fine lesson, while the story is highly entertaining. Also, I do enjoy the way the author has realistically woven Josefina's religion into her daily life; religion is something lacking in most American Girls stories. My eleven-year-old daughter and I read this book together; we both enjoyed it, and we both recommend it to you.

You can read it over and over and its interesting every time.......1998-10-13

I like that there is a glossary of Spanish words at the end of the book, because I know that if I ever go to Mexico, I will know how to say thank-you and stuff like that (gracias). The idea of a maid teaching Josephina and Josephina being so eager to learn makes me stunned. I think that you will very much enjoy the pictures, as I did. I did not recognize the dyes that the girls used to dye the wool, but from the pictures I understood that they were very beautiful. (Carmelle, Age 8)

The latest story about Josefina, the newest American Girl!.......1997-09-06

Nine year old Josefina Montoya is growing up on a rancho in New Mexico in 1824. When Josefina's Tia Dolores comes to visit to Montoyas, Josefina learns about a world beyond the rancho-a world of elegance. But Josefina and her sisters begin to worry that Tia Dolores will replace Mama, who died last year. And then disaster strikes. The Montoyas lose most of their sheep in a terrible flood. Tia Dolores comes to the rescue with the suggestion that the Montoyas weave blankets to sell so that they can get new sheep. But more and more, Josefina and her sisters begin to believe that all the new ideas their aunt has brought will make them forget all that Mama taught them. Then, Tia Dolores begins to teach the girls to read and write. Mama couldn't read and write, and Josefina and her sisters aren't sure she'd approve. More and more, Josefina must face many changes-both good and bad.

Radio Man/Don Radio (Trophy Picture Books)

Average customer rating:

"Diego woke up to the sounds of a deep voice on the radio."
great book!
Radio Man/Don Radio
Radio Man / Don Radio
Excellent book

Radio Man/Don Radio (Trophy Picture Books)

Manufacturer: Rayo
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0064434826

Customer Reviews:

"Diego woke up to the sounds of a deep voice on the radio.".......2006-09-23

In a family of migrant farm workers, Diego's life is different than that of other children, as his parents, brothers and sisters travel all over the southwestern states picking crops. Known by his friends as "Radio Man", Diego is never without the radio, the voice of the announcer trumpeting the states they pass through, the weather and the news. Diego's radio his constant companion, it is a reminder of where they have been and where they are going, repeating the familiar names of towns along the way, from Texas to Arizona to California, even to Washington, where the apple season is ripe for the picking.

In Texas, Diego becomes friends with David, but the boys know they may not meet again for a long time. While he sees cousins in other worker camps, Diego is disappointed when he fails to find David among the familiar faces. One day, when the radio announcer urges listeners to call in with messages, Diego has a brilliant idea: he calls the station and sends a message to David, "Are you there?" Happily, David is listening to the radio that day and answers his friend's call.

Written in English and Spanish, the story accentuates the very different world of migrant farm workers, where friendships are often difficult to maintain as families move from place to place earning a living. But thanks to his radio, Diego is able to locate David again, thrilled that his message is heard by the very person for which it was intended. Although the bilingual format isn't as user-friendly in the English as the Spanish, the story is poignant and instructive, a rare peek behind the many faces of our society, revealing the everyday concerns of a young boy searching for his friend. Luan Gaines/2006.

great book!.......2002-10-08

This book is great. It is a nice story that also teaches children about migrant farm workers. I love reading it.

Radio Man/Don Radio.......2001-08-09

I really enjoyed this well-written story about migrant workers going from place to place to pick crops. Instead of being isolated, the young man in the story listens to the Spanish-speaking stations wherever he goes and the radio gives him a sense of connection to his friends. It reminds me of the power of the radio stations across Mexico, especially San Miguel de Allende, where a tourist lost all his money by dropping his wallet and within minutes someone found it and took it to the radio station. He cried when he got his money back--all of it.

Radio Man / Don Radio.......2000-07-25

Radio Man is a book that as a teacher, I can't wait to use in my classroom. So often, students do not understand what it is like to live the life of a migrant worker. Using Artur Dorros' story as a road map, one can bring to light and discuss with children many issues that afect the migrant workers. Why do they always move? Where do they live? What happens to their friends? Why do kids have to work? Questions such as this might arise as you read the book with your child. I feel it is a great book because it allows you to expose your children to a part of life that is not discussed very often but definitely afects the Latino population.

Excellent book.......1999-05-22

A touching story. Everytime I tell this story (I am a storyteller) when I visit schools, I get comments from the teachers and the students. A little fourth grader came up to me her eyes shinning with pride and a big smile and said: "I am one of them, I pick cucumbers and tomatoes in Ohio." Teachers, and even a principal, have come to me with tears in their eyes and said: "That was me, thank you for the story." It is a great book to share with students, to give a voice to the migrants who do so much for us, who pick the crops all over the United States so we can then enjoy them!

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