Any Small Goodness: A Novel of the Barrio

by Tony Johnston, Raúl Colón (Illustrator)

Overview

Award-winning picture-book author Tony Johnston presents the poignant story of a loving Mexican-American family in East L.A. in her first novel for young readers.

Los Angeles is a place of movie stars and fast cars and people who are too rich and people who are too poor. An area of freeway chases and drive-bys and death. But there's another L.A., one where warmth and humor and humanity pervade. Where a tacqueria sign declares: "One cause, one people, one taco." This L.A. is a place where random acts of generosity and goodwill improve the lives of the community. Any Small Goodness is a novel filled with hope, love, and warmth.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780439233842
Publisher:	Scholastic, Inc.
Publication date:	06/01/2003
Series:	Any Small Goodness
Edition description:	Reissue
Pages:	128
Product dimensions:	5.25(w) x 7.63(h) x (d)
Age Range:	7 - 10 Years

About the Author

Tony Johnston is the author of nearly 100 picture books and early readers, including The Iguana Brothers, illustrated by Mark Teague. Her first novel, ANY SMALL GOODNESS: A NOVEL OF THE BARRIO, was named an NCTE Notable Children's Book in the Language Arts, an IRA Notable Book for a Global Security, and a Judy Lopez Memorial Honor Book. It was also awarded the first annual Southern California Booksellers' Association Children's Book Award. Ms. Johnston lives in California with her husband.

Editorial Reviews

This episodic novel is a wonderful addition to the small number of children's books about Latino characters. Eleven-year-old Arturo lives in the barrio of East Los Angeles, having moved with his family from Mexico several years earlier. Although theirs is a poor and sometimes dangerous neighborhood, Arturo, his family and his friends resolve to make it a better place to live—and succeed. Humor and warmth fill the text, which weaves in Spanish words defined in a glossary.
—Kristin Kloberdanz

Sweet as Mexican "dulces", here's an episodic story about life in the Los Angeles barrio. Picture-book veteran Johnston ("Uncle Rain Cloud", not reviewed, etc.) presents her first novel for children, and what a treat it is. Arturo's close-knit family, who arrived from Mexico only three years ago, stands together against the ugliness of the world. "In L.A. there's bad. Druggies. Gangs. Thieves, lifting stuff from houses like army ants." But as Arturo's father says, "In life there is "bueno "and there is "malo". If you do not find enough of the good, you must yourself create it." Vivid, poetic language liberally spiced with Spanish introduces a cast of supporting characters who all in their own ways work to create good, including Leo Love, who returns the family's beloved cat when she gets lost; "Coach Tree," an unidentified retired NBA player who becomes assistant coach to Arturo's basketball team; and Ms. Cloud, the librarian who puts just the right books into the children's hands. When a drive-by shooting threatens all that these people have done, Arturo takes it upon himself to create more good. His personal growth is marked in the opening and closing moments: at the first, he takes back his name from a teacher who tries to "gringo-ize" it; at the last, he works to take the barrio back from the chaos within it. Arturo's narration is by turns wise, witty, and heart-breakingly innocent. Good spirit pervades this narrative, just like the aroma of Abuelita's "chiles rellenos. ¡Maravilloso! "(glossary, not seen) "(Fiction. 9-13)"

Kirkus Reviews