"An inspiring YA debut from the author of "Dangerous Minds."
"Eddie Corazon is angry. He's also very smart. But he's working pretty hard at bei... read full description
"Eddie Corazon is angry. He's also very smart. But he's working pretty hard at bei... read full description
reviews
Feb 07, 2012
Chris
rated it: 
Summary:
Eddie Corazon sees no hope, no future. A juvenile delinquent living in a bad neighborhood, he's a junior only because he promised his mami he wouldn't drop out. He'll probably end up failing, anyway. But then things begin to change. First comes Mrs. Beecher who, before she was fired, showed him that there just might be a better way. Then comes Lupe. The most beautiful girl Eddie has ever seen and also the smartest. She has plans for her life and, slowly, Eddie begins to see that he More...
Eddie Corazon sees no hope, no future. A juvenile delinquent living in a bad neighborhood, he's a junior only because he promised his mami he wouldn't drop out. He'll probably end up failing, anyway. But then things begin to change. First comes Mrs. Beecher who, before she was fired, showed him that there just might be a better way. Then comes Lupe. The most beautiful girl Eddie has ever seen and also the smartest. She has plans for her life and, slowly, Eddie begins to see that he More...
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Jul 06, 2011
bjneary
rated it:
The voice of main character, Eddie Corazon was strong, confused, and angry but once he met Lupe, Eddie begins to awaken to what life can hold for him. Eddie still makes some bad mistakes and his humor is often biting but so is his life. He doesn't get along with his dad, has a major attitude, lives in a rundown area of New Mexico, and uses humor and sarcasm to describe his friends, teachers, school and just life in general. There are gangs, drug dealers, criminals that populate Eddie's world.
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Jun 20, 2011
Mrs. Foley
rated it: 
This is a Gateway nominee for 2011-2012. This book is by the same author who wrote My Posse Don't Do Homework (made into the movie, Dangerous Minds). Like that book, this is an interesting look into schools, what they teach, and how some students perceive them. I'm not sure that her characters ring as true as other books with similar themes...
Review from School Library Journal:
High school junior Eddie Corazon and his Mexican-American family live in a crime-infested town in N More...
Review from School Library Journal:
High school junior Eddie Corazon and his Mexican-American family live in a crime-infested town in N More...
Apr 26, 2010
Terri
rated it:
I recently attended a seminar in which the presenter, Deborah Hipes, discussed "What's New in Young Adult Literature and How to Use It in Your Program." She always gives her top twelve books for High School and Middle School. I was somewhat surprised, as I had not heard much about many of the books she selected. On the other hand, it gave me some new reads to take a look at. When I asked her after the seminar which book would be her #1 choice for high school students, she said it was d
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Nov 29, 2009
Jennifer
rated it: 
Reviewed by Grandma Bev for TeensReadToo.com
Eddie Corazon is a character who you won't soon forget.
He lives in a world where being a bad boy is the cool thing to do. He hangs out with his cousins in a bad neighborhood, and the boys are just on the edge of being juvenile delinquents. He skips school and gets poor grades as a matter of choice, but he is a secret reader, and poet. He has promised his Mami that he won't drop out of school, but he's pretty sure he will fail.
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Eddie Corazon is a character who you won't soon forget.
He lives in a world where being a bad boy is the cool thing to do. He hangs out with his cousins in a bad neighborhood, and the boys are just on the edge of being juvenile delinquents. He skips school and gets poor grades as a matter of choice, but he is a secret reader, and poet. He has promised his Mami that he won't drop out of school, but he's pretty sure he will fail.
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Mar 11, 2010
Lupe
rated it:
Muchacho is a book about a guy who struggles with life. Eddie Corazon, a 17 year old high school boy, lives in a trashy neighborhood and goes to a school juvenile delinquents. He's been judged because of what happened in his past. He was marked as a sex offender, but he's really innocent. It's not his fault. He has teachers come in and out of his life and he admires one of them, Miss Breecher, his English teacher. She inspires him to write poetry. Because he wrote poetry, his parents encourage h
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Dec 20, 2011
Renee
rated it:
I picked up Muchacho to listen to because I thought it might be appealing to the teens I serve, but I didn't know if I would actually like. Turns out it's pretty good. When you're reading the book you feel like you’re sitting down and having a conversation with narrator and main character Eddie. Eddie is living in New Mexico and attends Bright Horizons alternative school. Eddie's future could one of two ways he finishes high school or he becomes a full fledged juvenile delinquent, which some
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Aug 13, 2010
Jacki
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I was hesitant to read this book, because the plot sounded too much like that of my old nemesis, 
: tough delinquent falls for beautiful brainy girl who makes him want to be a better man. Give me a break! So I was pleasantly surprised to see how realistically told this book really is. The writer never over-romanticizes the love story or makes the hero into an unrealistic heartthrob. He's just a smart guy who's been dealt a crummy hand but ultimately rises to his own potential, mainly because he w
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: tough delinquent falls for beautiful brainy girl who makes him want to be a better man. Give me a break! So I was pleasantly surprised to see how realistically told this book really is. The writer never over-romanticizes the love story or makes the hero into an unrealistic heartthrob. He's just a smart guy who's been dealt a crummy hand but ultimately rises to his own potential, mainly because he w
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Sep 21, 2010
Susan
rated it: 
While this appears at first glance like a young-adult book, I think it has more in it for teachers than for their students. I was struck repeatedly by the huge impact a single person doing the right thing at the right time could have on a teenager like Eddie.
The book is probably worth reading because it's very quick. And Eddie, the Mexican-American first-person narrator, is an endearing character -- introspective, smart but perhaps not aware that he is, afraid to do things that make More...
The book is probably worth reading because it's very quick. And Eddie, the Mexican-American first-person narrator, is an endearing character -- introspective, smart but perhaps not aware that he is, afraid to do things that make More...
Jan 19, 2010
Diane
rated it:
Eddie Corazon has been suspended more times than he can count. His friends and cousins are gang members and drug pushers. But he knows deep down that he is smarter than any of the teachers at his alternative high school believe. Through encounters with a special teacher, a cop, a book seller, an uncle, and his girlfriend, Eddie begins to see his potential. Told in a stream of consciousness style, this is an entertaining, funny, touching, and uplifting story. Eddie’s voice is so strong that
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May 01, 2010
Tiny
rated it:
Muchacho is set in New Mexico, so I found this quote especially pertinent given the passage of Arizona’s new racial profiling law, SB1070: "The Ohio kid's ears got all red and I felt kind of sorry for him because I don’t know how many times somebody told me to go back where I came from except I am where I came from and they’re too stupid to know it – even though everybody has to take American history and it’s right there in the book that a whole bunch of states used to be Mexico, like Texas
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Jan 02, 2011
Debbie
rated it:
Eddie Corazon is a juvenile delinquent who attends an alternative high school. He is going nowhere fast, and he knows that his future holds nothing good. Eddie is smart and has a loving heart, but these qualities are not valued in his neighborhood. He keeps his love of reading a secret. Then he meets Lupe, a motivated student and a beautiful girl who sees something special in Eddie. With the help of a caring teacher and a book called The Four Agreements, Eddie starts to make some of the choi
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Jan 28, 2010
Mary
rated it:
I have to agree with Ricki--as an adult reader, I enjoyed the references to other books, but questioned whether even a "secret reader" like Eddie would find and finish "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time" and then compare it to the character in Rain Man. His original (?) poetry inspired by the girlfriend that alters his JD course is really nice. Not surprisingly, the narrative celebrates the crucial and satisfying connections good teachers can make, and while w
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Jul 18, 2011
Cathy
rated it:
While I think the book will have appeal to students needing high interest street/urban lit style writing, I worry that references to contemporary fiction will be lost upon this crowd unless this book is read in a classroom setting with ready reference to the books mentioned in the story. Maybe it will encourage a tough crowd of non readers or struggling readers to read it and venture toward other books mentioned, but it will take a lot of encouragement. Definitely has potential as a class nove
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Sep 23, 2009
Sherrie
rated it:
This is my latest book to review for VOYA. It's written by Louanne Johnson, the author of "My Posse Don't Do Homework", which was the basis for the movie "Dangerous Minds". While at times the plot comes dangerously close to slipping into cliche, I found myself strongly drawn to Eddie Corazon, the Mexican-American teen "secret reader" who is a poet hiding in thug's clothing. I hated to stop reading, and when I had to put the book down Eddie's struggles stuck with
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Nov 19, 2010
Michelle
rated it:
Muchacho by LouAnne Johnson follows the story of Eddie, a juvinile delinquent who transforms his life from a street thug, juvinile delinquent to a honor student. His amazing turn around is due to the inspiration he received from Lupe (a good girl who later becomes his girlfriend) and a caring teacher. This book gives hope to teachers trying to reach out and get that one troubled student out of a life of crime and harship into the life of a productive citizen.
This books would appeal More...
This books would appeal More...
Nov 24, 2010
Steven
rated it:
An interesting story about a Mexican American growing up in New Mexico. The story has colorful characters and some good cultural references. I found its tone a bit on the preachy side and I felt that both the writer and narrator felt they had all the answers, creating a tone that often drove me nuts.
What I liked (and this is a SPOILER) was the reverse Grease resolution in the story. There are so many books out there in which the nice girl becomes bad to suit her bad-boy-boyfriend. More...
What I liked (and this is a SPOILER) was the reverse Grease resolution in the story. There are so many books out there in which the nice girl becomes bad to suit her bad-boy-boyfriend. More...
Mar 06, 2010
Wally
rated it:
Eddie Corazon is very intelligent and very angry. School makes no sense, and so he acts out against the school until he meets Lupe, a beautiful girl whose self-possessed nature leads him to straighten up and turn his life around. Told through Eddie’s eyes, the story comes alive. He has a strong voice with strong opinions and a lot of earthy, smart humor. His turnaround seems a little easy since he has the strong support of a number of adults (both parents, a teacher, an uncle), but overall t
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Nov 30, 2010
Mark
rated it:
This book is about a Latino boy named Eddie who is smart but keeps getting into trouble. He writes poetry and reads a lot, but most of his teachers don't like him. The girl he likes, Lupe, gives him confidence, and one of his teachers also sees him for his potential.
I really liked this book not for the plot but for the voice. LouAnne Johnson, the author, got into the mind of Eddie, I think, and wrote believably. The writing sounds like how a real high school student would talk, so I fo More...
I really liked this book not for the plot but for the voice. LouAnne Johnson, the author, got into the mind of Eddie, I think, and wrote believably. The writing sounds like how a real high school student would talk, so I fo More...
Jul 05, 2010
Bridget
rated it:
I really loved this book - thanks, Terri for the recommendation! While the book is short, it is not shallow. Eddie, the main character, is fabulous, with a sharp mind and lovely heart. The plot is never shocking, but moves along nicely. I'm especially happy to read this because it will be a great book to recommend to reluctant, male, Latino readers. I don't read enough books with Latino main characters. Also, I have to confess I got a little teary-eyed reading Eddie's final poem Veinte-Veinte Vi
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Jan 17, 2012
James
rated it:
This book was a good read overall. It was about a teenager growing up in New Mexico, which is a really hard place for people to be growing up in. His whole life he has been surrouned by violence, gangs, drugs, and more. All he knows is how to be bad. However, behind closed doors, he loves to read. And learn. He called himself a secret reader in the story. Throughout this whole book you see how he turns into a young respectable man and determined to be more and more succesful.
Aug 22, 2010
Mrs. Tongate
rated it:
Great read! How you can change your life around with the help of adults and willing to accept their advise/help to change. Would Eddie have turned out differently if he didn't have his teacher (Miss Beecher), the lady cop (Sgt. Cabrera) who gave him the book to read, his uncle Tio the great role model, and his smart girlfriend Lupe who loved school? Loved this book!! Dream, dream! Loved that Eddie was a secret reader. Favorite read this Fall. Maybe a great read-aloud!!
Jun 10, 2011
Shaeley
rated it:
Eddie is trying to "remake" himself using The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom, A Toltec Wisdom Book as a guide. His insights on school (alternative), teachers, and life are fresh and interesting. I loved his poetry.
Some mature content.
Some mature content.
Mar 23, 2010
'Chele
rated it:
This audio book was really bad (IMHO) in the beginning. I wasn't the audio, it was the writing. It seemed like a "big excuse" to me. However, the last CD (part of the book), the writing improved, the characters improved and the story turned out to be better. If the writing had developed the story and characters more on the first three CDs, I would have given this story more stars.
Oct 03, 2010
Darcy
rated it:
When reading this book, it renewed the passion I have for working with at risk school kids. I really enjoyed the character development of the young man and the positive self perspective he developed. Being in an alternative school can sometimes discourage youth from succeeding, however with his girlfriend and the promise he made to his mom he overcame the obstacles.
Oct 17, 2010
Jenny
rated it:
I really loved this book and the narrator, Eddie Corazon. He has such a funny, true-to-life voice that I chuckled, laughed out loud, and shared passages with my teenaged children as I read the book in one sitting. My only criticism is that the ending was rushed. I wanted to find out how Eddie did when he returned home. Is there going to be a sequel, LouAnne?
Sep 06, 2011
Kathleen
rated it:
I thought this book was terrific. It speaks not only to the Latino culture, but to all young people who might feel pressure from school, culture and peers. The characters are realistic and from what I know of high school life, the situations are too. A good read for anyone wanting to understand a different viewpoint on teen life.
Apr 28, 2011
Mark
rated it:
Muchacho is a story of a boy that lives in New Mexico. He has had some problems and so is attending a school for juvenile delinquents. The story is about how he grows up and learns how to manage his problems. The book has the feel of "The Catcher in the Rye" yet told in modern America with its many problems of race. I enjoy it a lot.
May 16, 2010
Marilyn
rated it:
This is either a book that rings true to today's struggling and disaffected teen (like the teenagers I work with) or a fantasy constructed by an English teacher who would like this to be how her students think. The only difficulty I found with the book is that, because it involves today's teens, it has sex, violence, profanity, etc.
Aug 26, 2011
Leslie
rated it:
I liked Eddie and his shift in thinking. I'm hopeful that I can recommend this book to some boys in an effort to get them to begin reading. This book could conjure some excellent conversation about the purpose of education, and I plan on reading parts of it to my classes soon.
