Finding Our Way

Publishers Weekly

In 11 intimate stories, readers enter Hispanic neighborhoods to meet adolescent heroes and heroines "finding their way" in the world. Salda$a (The Jumping Tree) adroitly extracts meaning from quiet moments of reflection, illustrating the emotional states of his protagonists as they approach crossroads. In "Manny Calls," for example, the author poignantly expresses Manny's grief over his grandfather's death through Manny's compulsion to dial his grandfather's number, which is no longer in service, and talk (over the recording and subsequent "beepbeepbeep") as if his grandfather were listening. On the day a stranger answers the phone, Manny is faced with a moment of truth-but he still cannot find closure. Elsewhere, one character's decision to do nothing is as profound as another's choice to take action. In "The Dive," one of her grandmother's cuentos ("stories that somehow served as life lessons") subtly persuades Melly that she, unlike the local boys, does not have to make a dive from a bridge into a river in order to prove her maturity. A few tales may be obvious or moralistic, but the author's wisdom and sensitivity are at their pinnacle in the title entry, which studies a community's response to a teen's unsolved murder. Whether following a straight and narrow path to adulthood or taking some dangerous curves, the characters are conceived with such depth and observed with so much compassion that their experiences may help forge paths for the audience as well. Ages 12-up. (Mar.) Copyright 2003 Cahners Business Information.

VOYA

In these eleven short stories, the reader experiences the complicated lives of several young protagonists in contemporary situations. In The Good Samaritan, Rey chooses to trade goodness for meanness when dealing with a neighborhood snob with political aspirations. Chuy's Beginnings portrays a ne'er-do-well student who sadly realizes how his behavior has complicated the lives of an understanding but fed-up teacher and a principal. In Andy and Ruthie, a guy takes his girlfriend for granted and ends up without a prom date. Kids taunting kids, a drama teacher whose students refuse to sing in a Christmas play, being the new kid, life in the school alternative center, ruined reputations and new starts, dealing with gang members and bullies, accepting the death of a grandparent, trying to find one's true self as a young woman, mysterious death and changes in a neighborhood, dealing with brothers and sisters, parents and grandparents-all are a part of these stories about young people trying to find their way. Most characters have Latino names and the settings are in Texas, but these tales are much more than ethnic stories in the land of growing up. Saldaña's previous novel, The Jumping Tree (Delacorte, 2001), was named a Booklist Top Ten Youth First Novel. With this collection, Saldaña makes a significant contribution to the field of Latino short stories for young readers, a field that also includes authors Diane de Anda, Gary Soto, David Rice, Viola Canales, Judith Ortiz Cofer, and Anilú Bernardo. VOYA CODES: 4Q 4P M J S (Better than most, marred only by occasional lapses; Broad general YA appeal; Middle School, defined as grades 6 to 8; Junior High, defined as grades 7 to 9; Senior High,defined as grades 10 to 12). 2003, Wendy Lamb Books/Random House, 160p,
— Sherry York

School Library Journal

Gr 7 Up-Salda-a's collection of short stories and one brief novella offers snapshots of teens' lives. The outsider, or an unusual character, appears in a number of ways-as the new kid, as a drama teacher trying to instill in his students his own love of the theater, and as a boy making his way into the adult world. With a deft touch, the author creates a clear, concise picture of time and place (along the Texas border or Georgia) with characters who sound and think like today's teens. Reality is a strong point as both male and female characters act out what is important to them in their own worlds. Challenges, help, and hope can come from anywhere, including a disconnected telephone or a grandmother's kind words. "Chuy's Beginnings," "The Good Samaritan," and "Alternative" are first-person narratives relating incidents in three Hispanic males' lives. All are school stories, although much of the action takes place outside of the classroom. "Finding Our Way," an extended short story, deals with the death of a peer and the mystery of a runaway. These powerfully written, provocative selections have universal appeal and subtle, thoughtful themes.-Gail Richmond, San Diego Unified Schools, CA Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.

Kirkus Reviews

Salda-a's (The Jumping Tree, 2001) collection of short stories offers daily dramas of friends, grandparents, teachers, brothers, and parents. The themes of growing up, proving yourself, reinventing yourself, and-ultimately-finding your way will play well for the suggested audience. Set in a Georgia town and in Texas on the Mexican border, the best stories delineate that tentative line between self and larger community. In "Chuy's Beginnings," Chuy is kicked out of class and sent to the office. In the conflict he causes between teacher and principal, Chuy begins to see a bit beyond himself to the consequences of his actions. His halting attempt at apology fails but offers hope in his growth as a person. These are hopeful stories, and the characters, despite their troubles, seem capable of finding their way, often with the subtle guidance of a grandparent or teacher. "Dive" is about Melly Otero, who must decide whether or not to jump off Jensen's Bridge, the rite of passage in her town, but her grandmother helps her see that she is already grown and has "nothing to prove to anybody." In "Alternative," Arturo has been thrown out of school for drug use and is writing about how he ended up at the Alternative Center. His autobiography is a vehicle for looking at where he is right now and realizing "there are other ways out." The messages woven into the story about writing personal narratives and poetry make it an excellent choice for high school writing classes. The collection is strong, with several excellent models for young short-story writers. (Fiction. 12+)