In this spunky collection of stories, popular young adult and children's author Diane Gonzales Bertrand creates a raucous collection of rowdy fun in a bilingual format for intermediate readers. Ten-year-olds Miguel and Angel get so excited about the family's new truck that they take it for a spin. Luis rebels when his antiquated Tia Anita wants him to give his friend Diana a hairy pink thing and a box of powder that smells like cat litter. Norma dresses up like Queen Isabella and steals the spotlight from the class clowns. Alonso's day sours when he lies to claim a blue-ribbon prize in the science fair. These short stories bubble with fresh and feisty young characters, and their adventures carry all the struggles of childhood. With line-drawings by Pauline Rodriguez Howard, this funny, uplifting collection celebrates strong relationships with friends, parents, teachers, or extended family. Set in the schoolyard, at the beach, or on a driveway in front of the family's house, these stories make even the ordinary problems of childhood extraordinary. Grade 2-5 - Six brief tales that feature contemporary settings and recognizable characters. The scenarios include an inadvertent ride in a new truck, strange elderly aunts and odd neighbors, mysterious scratching noises at night, a mythical science-fair project, triumph over class clowns, and a thoughtful treatment of worms. The plotting is uniformly swift and the narrative voices are tongue-in-cheek. Despite some obvious morals that land just this side of the didactic, the stories read aloud well in both English and the adequate Spanish translation. The book literally flips over - starting from one cover is the English version and on the flip side is the Spanish. Good as a discussion starter (in almost every story, someone could have made a better choice) or for reluctant readers, this slim, nonthreatening volume will appeal to those who liked Ruth Wallace-Brodeur's homey Stories from the Big Chair (S & S, 1989). Enhanced with line drawings and humor, this is a sound addition to short-story collections. Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. "The Hispanic setting and characters help fill a void..." These short stories bubble with fresh and feisty young characters, and their adventures carry all the struggles of childhood. The funny, uplifting collection celebrates strong relationships with friends, parents, teachers, or extended family. Set in the schoolyard, at the beach, or on a driveway in front of the family’s house, these stories make even the ordinary problems of childhood extraordinary. DIANE GONZALES BERTRAND is the author of numerous books for children and young adults. Her books for young children include The Empanadas that Abuela Made / Las empanadas que hacía la abuela (Piñata Books, 2002) and Sip, Slurp, Soup, Soup / Caldo, caldo, caldo (Piñata Books, 1996). Bertrand’s books for young adults include Trino’s Time (Piñata Books, 2001), which was named to The New York Public Library’s 2002 Books for the Teen Age and the Latino Literary Hall of Fame for Best Young Adult Fiction, and Trino’s Choice (Piñata Books, 1999), which was named to the 2001-2002 Texas Lone Star Reading List. A lifelong resident of San Antonio, Bertrand teaches at St. Mary’s University, where she is also Writer in Residence.