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79th out of 184 books
—
156 voters
Muchacho
by
LouAnne Johnson (Goodreads Author)
"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 being a juvenile delinquent. He blows off school, even though he's a secret reader. He hangs with his cousins, who will always back him up--when they aren't in jail.
Then along comes Lupe, who makes his blood race. She sees something i...more
"Eddie Corazon is angry. He's also very smart. But he's working pretty hard at being a juvenile delinquent. He blows off school, even though he's a secret reader. He hangs with his cousins, who will always back him up--when they aren't in jail.
Then along comes Lupe, who makes his blood race. She sees something i...more
208 pages
Published
September 8th 2009
by Random House
(first published January 1st 2009)
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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 too c...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 too c...more
Feb 15, 2013
Samantha Alvelo
is currently reading it
Dear Mercedes,
I am reading the book Muchacho by Louanne Johnson which is a work of realistic-fiction. The book is narrated by the main character named Eduardo, but his friends call him eddie. I the beginning he basically starts it off my tell you about were he lives at and how everyone is a loser; But secretly he was smart and liked to read. He acted the way he did because in the third grade the put him in special ed because he had kick his teacher in the crotch the year prier. As the story goes...more
I am reading the book Muchacho by Louanne Johnson which is a work of realistic-fiction. The book is narrated by the main character named Eduardo, but his friends call him eddie. I the beginning he basically starts it off my tell you about were he lives at and how everyone is a loser; But secretly he was smart and liked to read. He acted the way he did because in the third grade the put him in special ed because he had kick his teacher in the crotch the year prier. As the story goes...more
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. Bu...more
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 New Mexico where kids...more
Review from School Library Journal:
High school junior Eddie Corazon and his Mexican-American family live in a crime-infested town in New Mexico where kids...more
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 difficult t...more
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...more
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 peo...more
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...more
: 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...more
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 him seem lik...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 him seem lik...more
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 you...more
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 and...more
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 choices...more
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 we know teens do pond...more
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 novel....more
I loved the narrators voice in this one. It came off as real and sincere. I could believe that I was actually listening to Eddie tell his story.
I thought the story was pretty good. The author obviously knows what a teen is like.
Maybe I was too distracted while reading, but I kept getting mixed up with the characters. It's not that there were too many. I think by the time the they mentioned a certain Primo again, I couldn't remember who he was. I was hoping for some reminders that would ring a b...more
I thought the story was pretty good. The author obviously knows what a teen is like.
Maybe I was too distracted while reading, but I kept getting mixed up with the characters. It's not that there were too many. I think by the time the they mentioned a certain Primo again, I couldn't remember who he was. I was hoping for some reminders that would ring a b...more
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 me. This book is appropriate for...more
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 to young men...more
This books would appeal to young men...more
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. In this case,...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. In this case,...more
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 this...more
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.
Then he meets Lupe, and hi...more
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.
Then he meets Lupe, and hi...more
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...more
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.
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!!
i really liked it, it got my attention and i couldn't put the book down. It was more about reality and crime and that is what really grabbed my attention. The boy Muchacho goes through a lot when it came to his childhood. He started off as a gang member in mexico and was forced to move back to Chicago with his mom and brother because his dad didn't want him to end up like him who risks his life to take care of his childrenby selling and dealing drugs. a few months after muchacho left mexico his...more
Jun 10, 2011
Shaeley Santiago
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
HS students, Fernando
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.
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.
i absolutely loved his book. it was sort of cliche but whatever. this story about a juvenile delinquent and how a teacher and a special girl in his life change everything about him and help him change his life around. he ends up wanting to go to college and things like that but at some point he has to choose between the bada$$ life that he's made for himself or to completely change for the better to keep his life together.
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.
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?
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.
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crisis | 1 | 2 | Mar 31, 2012 04:20pm | |
| crisis | 1 | 1 | Mar 27, 2012 02:12pm | |
| stress management | 1 | 2 | Mar 27, 2012 02:02pm | |
| Stress Management | 1 | 2 | Mar 06, 2012 11:44am | |
| Choices | 2 | 4 | Mar 02, 2012 11:27am | |
| choices | 1 | 1 | Mar 01, 2012 08:31pm |
LouAnne Johnson is a former U.S. Navy journalist, Marine Corps officer, high school teacher, and the author of The New York Times bestseller Dangerous Minds (originally My Posse Don't Do Homework). In 1989, LouAnne began teaching reading and writing to non-English speakers as an intern at a high school in California. Since then LouAnne has taught English, adult basic education, developmental readi...more
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Feb 12, 2012 07:05pm