AUTHOR CONNECTIONS:
Gary Soto was born in Fresno, California, on
April 12, 1952, to Mexican American parents. He grew up in a "barrio" of Fresno
and vividly remembers various times in his childhood. These memories inform his
highly acclaimed short stories, novels, poetry and picture books for children
and young adults. About his youth Soto writes: "We didn't have books, and no one
encouraged us to read." Soto's books, with their eloquent prose and universal
themes about everyday life, invite readers of all ages to connect joyfully to
his stellar body of work. Soto currently resides in northern California, where
he teaches Creative Writing at the University of California at Riverside. Visit The Official Gary Soto Website http://www.garysoto.com/ for further information.
CURRICULAR CONNECTIONS:
 Use "Two Dreamers" to present a Readers Theater performance for the class. Pay particular
attention to tone of voices, volume, pitch, and speed of reading to convey all
emotions present in the story. Engage in lively discussion about this multigenerational
gem of a story by asking the following questions: Have you ever spent time with
a grandparent or older family member when you were younger? What did you learn
from them? What do you think they learned from you? How did you communicate with
each other?
In "Seventh Grade," Victor, already proficient in Spanish and English, chooses Mr.
Bueller's French class as his elective. Have students research as many foreign
languages as possible to discover the phrases each employs for saying "Hello"
or "Welcome." They may utilize the resources in their school's Foreign Languages
Department to assist in creating their own audio cassette tape of the expressions
in the different languages.
Arrange
for a class "Lip Synch Contest," similar to Manuel's "La Bamba" skit in his school's
talent show. Students may work in small groups or individually, depending on the
songs they select for the activity. Allow students time to practice and to create
programs to be distributed to audience members prior to the presentation. Ask
the media specialist to record the event for other grades to enjoy.
Have
students generate lists of those memorable experiences that are still personally
poignant and important to them. Ask them to recall events that were "firsts" in
their lives: their first day of kindergarten; the first time they overnighted
at a friend's house; the first time they went to camp. Students select one of
these unforgettable times to write about. They should use first-person voice in
their narratives and provide as much detail as possible. After peer edited, the
final drafts will be typed and displayed in the classroom for others to read.
Gary
Soto writes: "For me, streets have always mattered." Readers easily gain an acute
sense of place as they listen to BASEBALL IN APRIL..., replete with detailed images
of neighborhood streets in the various stories. Have students recall their own
childhood neighborhoods, and depict them on large sheets of poster board. Include
friends' houses, local stores, churches and schools that might be part of their
"stomping grounds." Display neighborhood maps in hallway.
INTERNET CONNECTIONS:
 ALSC:
The Pura Belpre Award
http://www.ala.org/alsc/belpre.html
Established in 1996 , this biennial award honors a Latino/Latina writer and
illustrator whose work best portrays and affirms the Latino cultural experience
in an exemplary work of children's literature; lists the 2000 Medal Winners and
previous titles, too.
The Academy
of American Poets - Poetry Exhibits - Gary Soto
http://www.poets.org/lit/poet/gsoto.htm
At this site students and teachers can hear Soto read some of his poetry,
namely "Mission Tire Factory, 1969."
Foreign Languages
for Travelers
http://www.travlang.com/lantuages/
Lets students hear words and phrases in dozens of different languages. This
site will aid in completing the above foreign language greeting activity.
FOR FURTHER LISTENING AND READING:
  THE
CIRCUIT (Houghton Mifflin, 1999) by Francisco Jimenez. Heartfelt collection of
short stories based on one family's plights as migrant workers in central California,
and the author's childhood dream to obtain an education. UNABRIDGED AUDIO in Spanish
and English editions available from Audio Bookshelf in January, 2001.
THE
HOUSE ON MANGO STREET read by the author Sandra Cisneros. Spare and honest vignettes
- sometimes heartwarming, sometimes heart-wrenching - about Esperanza Cordero,
a young girl growing up in Chicago. These stories celebrate the Hispanic American
heritage and have quickly become a staple in many secondary literature classes.
. UNABRIDGED AUDIO and paperback available from Audio Bookshelf.
Parrot
in the Oven: Mi Vida (HarperCollins, 1996) by Victor Martinez.
Petty
Crimes (Harcourt Brace, 1998) by Gary Soto.
Snapshots
From the Wedding (Putnam, 1997) by Gary Soto, illustrated by Stephanie Garcia.
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