Gary Soto

Adept at portraying Latino teenage culture, author Gary Soto has won many honors, including an ALA Best Book Award for his young adult novels. After an East Fresno student is murdered, his mind leaves his body. Now he must get used to being an invisible spirit, one who watches his friends and...

In these 11 stories, Gary Soto scores again....

Eighth-grader Linc Mendoza has moved from a dusty San Francisco barrio to a well-groomed suburb. Suddenly he's in the minority, a Mexican-American in a mostly white school....

Eddie's father, two uncles, and best friend are all dead, and it's a struggle for him not to end up the same way.

Chato decides to throw a birthday party - a 'pachanga' - for his best friend....

Gary Soto's Too Many Tamales earned critical acclaim from Parents' Choice and Booklist magazines. This endearing story stars Maria, a young girl who is now old enough to help her mother make the traditional Christmas tamales. While kneading the masa, she spots her mom's precious ring lying on...

In Petty Crimes, Soto offers 10 stories about the risky situations and dangerous little scams faced by young people growing up on the harsh streets of the city....

It all starts when Marisa picks up the wrong cell phone. When she returns it to Rene, she feels curiously drawn to him. But Marisa and Rene aren’t exactly a match made in heaven....

Growing up Mexican-American in Fresno, California in the 1950’s and 60’s might not have been easy, but it was certainly never boring for young Gary Soto, his brother Rick and sister Debra....

For fans of the Legendary Alston Boys, an uproarious contemporary adventure story with a dash of fantasy about two friends who start a non-singing duo, go viral, and become unlikely international rock stars, bringing mindfulness to the middle school masses. At Visalia Middle School, nothing...

Hector and his amigo Mando are looking for adventure as they hit the road on a leisurely bike trip from their East L.A. neighborhood to the beach in Santa Monica. They've just set out when the fun begins, as Hector literally stumbles into a starring role in a TV commercial....

To get away from his chaotic, often violent parents, 17-year-old Jesse has moved into an apartment with his brother. They are both taking community college courses in Fresno. But to pay for them, they must take whatever jobs they can find, even backbreaking field work. The path to a good...

In this lively collection of short essays, Soto recreates in vivid detail the sights, sounds, smells, and textures he knew growing up in his Fresno, California, neighborhood....

Lincoln is happy to be going to Japan as a martial arts exchange student. So is Tony, his barrio brother from San Francisco....

When Hector's mother suggests that he and his amigo Mando get out of East L.A. for the weekend and see some of the world, he's thinking Paris....

Chato can't believe his luck. Not only is he the coolest low-riding cat in East L.A., but his brand-new neighbors are the plumpest, juciest, tastiest-looking family of mice to move into the barrio in a long time. So Chato and his best friend, Novio Boy, get out the pots and pans, the tortillas...

A sweetly humorous middle grade novel packed with action, basketball, and a dash of magical realism about friendship and family, first crushes, and belonging, from acclaimed author Gary Soto. Thirteen-year-old Jordan Mendoza has a huge crush on his classmate, Sierra, but he’s never going to...

An original novella from award-winning children's author and poet Gary Soto....