Baseball in April and Other Stories

The Mexican American author Gary Soto draws on his own experience of growing up in California’s Central Valley in this finely crafted collection of eleven short stories that reveal big themes in the small events of daily life. Crooked teeth, ponytailed girls, embarrassing grandfathers, imposter Barbies, annoying brothers, Little League tryouts, and karate lessons weave the colorful fabric of Soto’s world. The smart, tough, vulnerable kids in these stories are Latino, but their dreams and desires belong to all of us.

Amazing book full of short stories telling of Latino youth in the San Joaquin valley of California. Sweet memories of being Mexican and not having the financial means to obtain all that one wishes as a teenager/youngster. Yet it is obtained by the resourcefulness of youth and desire. Not always as wished but life lessons are reached regardless. I loved this book for bringing me back to my days of youth.

Gracefully written, engaging, authentic little slice of life episodes. Each snuck in a life lesson or two. Still, I have to take a star off for how much pop culture was used, which made it immediately dated. The experiences and lessons are meant to be universal - as in, 'we're all the same people, diverse but with the same dreams' - but they just didn't feel that way.

Otoh, if the reader does have even a single point in common with the characters (poor, Hispanic, young teen, Catholic, immigrant, *or* plays baseball or Barbie), he or she will probably enjoy it more than I did, as I am none of those things.

A lovely collection of short stories about Latinx kids in the 10 to 16 year old range. The stories all have a ring of truth to them. A few coming of age stories, a few tales of young children feeling the kinds of things all young children feel, a few about first loves, and quite a few about a kid's natural desire to be good at something.

This collection of 11 short stories is a realistic, often humorous look at the everyday problems of growing up. Though the main characters are all Latinos growing up in the barrios of Los Angeles, middle school students from everywhere will be able to relate. My favorite is “La Bamba,” about a boy who lip-synchs and dances to the song “La Bamba” in the 7th grade talent show. The performance doesn’t turn out the way he plans, but everyone loves it. Sometimes, our greatest humiliations can turn out to be our greatest triumphs. A glossary of Spanish terms is helpful.

This collection of short stories had a few okay ones (Broken Chain,Seventh Grade, Mother and Daughter), but some were just plain boring narratives in which little happens and when the stories end, you wonder if you're missing a page or something. What? That's IT? you ask. For reals, that's it. Sometimes, though, he really does capture a middle school moment so well.

Nearly a memoir, but actually prose, this book of short stories is written in Gary Soto style: 11 stories, giving perspective on the adolescent experience. These poetry reflections on the San Joaquin Valley. Check out “Barbie,” “La Bamba” or “Karate Kid”--tributes to old-timey childhoods. These stories will return the reader to memories from the 1980s.