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Any Small Goodness: A Novel of the Barrio
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...more
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...more
Paperback, 128 pages
Published
June 1st 2003
by Scholastic Paperbacks
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Life in the barrio can mean gangs and shootings, but in Tony Johnston's Any Small Goodness, we see Arturo's small, loving, Mexican-American family showing us the good in people. Johnston has made each chapter in the book focus on someone that has done a "small goodness" for the community. For example, Ms. Cloud, the librarian is a hard working teacher who is trying to make the school library a wonderful place filled with new books. Arturo describes her as being tough in "a warrior way" even thou...more
Any Small Goodness: A Novel of the Barrio, by Tony Johnston, is the story of Arturo Rodriquez and his family, recent immigrants to Los Angeles from Mexico. Arturo describes what life is like for his Latino family and the issues they face in a gang infested and very troubled area. Throughout the story, Arturo goes back and forth between speaking in English and speaking in Spanish. In the back of the book, there is a small Spanish glossary to help the reader. Arturo describes the people he meets,...more
A small very sweet book. Which seems hard to figure with the setting being the Barrio in L.A. I read this book at the same time as Okay For Now by Gary Schmidt. They created a poignant juxstaposition. In Okay for Now the main character has an abusive and narcisistic father who brings only pain and shame to his family. In Any Small Goodness the main character has a simple and gentle family in spite of the angry, ugly environment around them. In each book the young boys are searching for manhood a...more
Arturo and his family move to LA and run head on into both the terrible problems of the city and the amazing love of the town. Arturo’s Papi is very wise, showing the children how to find good in the world and revealing to them how to make good from bad.
p. 16 On the way home Papi says, “This Leo Love is a brave man. In spite of fear he saved Huitla. When no eyes are upon him, that is a person’s true test.”
p. 103 “Mijo.” With carino, Papi touches my shoulders and looks into my face. The world s...more
p. 16 On the way home Papi says, “This Leo Love is a brave man. In spite of fear he saved Huitla. When no eyes are upon him, that is a person’s true test.”
p. 103 “Mijo.” With carino, Papi touches my shoulders and looks into my face. The world s...more
No gracias, este libro no es para mi.
I appreciate the author's attempt to show the reader "the good" in the typical LA Mexican family, but I wasn't able to appreciate the pseudo-cultural pride and assimilation of Arturo's family. Also, when I read this in the chapter about the L.A. River I accidentally dropped the book:
"What I most love about this place is the graffiti blooming in the river channel. Letters like colorful balloon animals shriek all the stale sayings: 'Viva la raza! Antonio! #1 Nú...more
I appreciate the author's attempt to show the reader "the good" in the typical LA Mexican family, but I wasn't able to appreciate the pseudo-cultural pride and assimilation of Arturo's family. Also, when I read this in the chapter about the L.A. River I accidentally dropped the book:
"What I most love about this place is the graffiti blooming in the river channel. Letters like colorful balloon animals shriek all the stale sayings: 'Viva la raza! Antonio! #1 Nú...more
i read through page 45 in this book.
11. If i wish to learn when i read again tomorrow. I hope that i can also continue to learn more about the small good living stories. Because i want to get knowledge to apply for my own life, it's really a really precious experiences when i went to live in a new country.
12. Absolutely that are Mexican- American words and dialects. It really makes me difficulty to understand what's that mean in that situation or in society at that time. Because you only go thro...more
11. If i wish to learn when i read again tomorrow. I hope that i can also continue to learn more about the small good living stories. Because i want to get knowledge to apply for my own life, it's really a really precious experiences when i went to live in a new country.
12. Absolutely that are Mexican- American words and dialects. It really makes me difficulty to understand what's that mean in that situation or in society at that time. Because you only go thro...more
This book is about a life of Barrio, coming from a Mexican family, who recently moved to L.A. The book talk mostly about the small event that Barrio and his family go through in L.A. In the book, Barrio switches from English to Spanish often, and incorporates Spanish words in to English sentences, which makes it rather confusing for non-Spanish speakers. There is a glossary that has translations of the Spanish words in the back of the book, but I find it really annoying to have to keep flipping...more
Purpose: Multicultural Literature (Wide Reading Project)
Genre: Realistic fiction
Format: Novel
Age Level: Intermediate (I): grades 3-5/6 (ages 8-10/11)
Themes: identity; adolescence; family; community; inner-city life; poverty; gangs; love vs. hate; good vs. bad; languages; stereotypes
Cultures: Mexican American culture
Read Aloud: No
Literary Elements: Powerful, multicultural insights into the cultural traditions and close bonds that comprise a poor yet incredibly rich Mexican-American family; Very r...more
Format/Length: Chapter book; 128 pages
Award(s)/Distinction(s):
NCTE Notable Children's Book
NCSS- CBC Notable Social Studies Trade Book
SCBA Children's Book Award Winner
Theme(s): Friendship, Family, Right vs. Wrong, Compassion/Kindness, Sense of Home
Review:
This chapter book focuses on the life of a young boy, Arturo Rodriguez,after his family moves to a barrio in L.A. from Mexico. It is narrated by Arturo. The words flow beautifully and lyrically making the story easy to read. Arturo also uses wor...more
Award(s)/Distinction(s):
NCTE Notable Children's Book
NCSS- CBC Notable Social Studies Trade Book
SCBA Children's Book Award Winner
Theme(s): Friendship, Family, Right vs. Wrong, Compassion/Kindness, Sense of Home
Review:
This chapter book focuses on the life of a young boy, Arturo Rodriguez,after his family moves to a barrio in L.A. from Mexico. It is narrated by Arturo. The words flow beautifully and lyrically making the story easy to read. Arturo also uses wor...more
This is a great middle-grades book. Each chapter is about an act of kindness done by someone in the neighborhood, including the Green Needle Gang, of which the main character Arturo is a member. Spanish words are sprinkled throughout the book. Many are understandable through context, but there is a glossary at the end of the book for reference. Each chapter could be used as a stand-alone text for reading or writing instruction.
This was a very interesting and fun book. It would be hard to read if you don't know any Spanish, because the author mixes it into the story. The story shows a loving family living in a tough part of L.A. There are both bad things and good things that happen. I love the humor in this book. Written for young people but lots in it for adults too.
I loved, loved, loved this little book. It reminded me of Patricia MacLachlan's style...it's almost like poetry it flows so well and is so lyrical. An immigrant family deals with the struggles and joys of living in LA. The love this family has for each other is almost palpable. It's a beautiful book that would make an excellent read aloud.
Great little scenarios told from the point of view of a boy who's family has recently immigrated to America, living in modern Los Angeles. All the chapters are tied together by philanthropy, making a choice for the greater good, and celebrating your identity. Really would love to share this book with my students. Short, quick read.
This book was very sweet. The exploits of the Green Needle Gang went in a very different direction than expected--I was surprised there was no further confrontation with the hoodlums--and the ending really made me smile.
A good book to use for our culture & identity unit...if we weren't already reading SeedFolks! :)
A good book to use for our culture & identity unit...if we weren't already reading SeedFolks! :)
Very sweet, upbeat story complete with a cat named after that crazy corn fungus that Polly's husband used to grow (still does?), a philanthropist librarian, a gang that delivers good, and more. Lots of Spanish phrases, some suspense and intensity, and a strong family bond. An MCBA book from '04.
It was a required book for a summer school program I was teaching, but I ended up really liking this book. It's a group of related short stories set in Los Angeles about the people who live there, even the Lakers! One of my favorite chapters was the The Green Needle Gang.
'In life, there is bueno and there is malo. If you do not find enough of the good, you must yourself create it...Remember this thing - any small goodness is of value."
I wish we could more often see into people's hearts as we do in this novel.
I wish we could more often see into people's hearts as we do in this novel.
I wish this had been a non-fiction book. I enjoyed reading about the acts of kindness that happened in Arturo's neighborhood, but is that what it's really like to live there? That's what I want to know - the true stories.
a book i will definitely read aloud to my future children to teach them to goodness of individuals and the importance of kindness.
Arturo has moved to LA from Mexico for a better life and he is trying to retain his heritage while fitting in in America
Ellie rated this 1 star. I think it's good for her to break out of the fantasy genre.
This was a cute story but it is really easy to read. Not super special.
Read this for my child lit class. It was okay. Not my favorite.
Heavy handed at times, but brings up some interesting ideas.
Setting - LA
Warm and loving family.
Inspiring librarian.
Warm and loving family.
Inspiring librarian.
Pleasant enough, but boring.
Read it in an hour.
Read it in an hour.
Great for English Language Learners.
LA boy does right by his neighbors.
I picked this up as a possibility to read with my students and so far I LOVE the narrator's voice. Not only is his family Mexican, but grandma also speaks Nahuatl.... just like the grandmas of so many of my students. I'm so excited to share this book with them and see what they think. So far my favorite story is about his cat: Huitlacoche, the Nahuatl name for corn fungus that the family loves to eat... who runs away from the trumpet playing of the narrator's brother, gets stuck up a tree and is...more
Such a sweet little book!
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Tony Johnston has written many acclaimed books for young people. She and her husband lived in Mexico for fifteen years, where they raised their children. She now lives in San Marino, California.
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Feb 13, 2011 06:23pm
Feb 13, 2011 06:29pm