The Skirt

by Gary Soto

Miata has left the beautiful folklórico skirt her mother wore in Mexico on the bus. She was going to wear the skirt on Sunday when her dance group performed folklórico. Can Miata and her friend Ana rescue the precious skirt in time?

Genres: Realistic Fiction, Fiction, Chapter Books, Middle Grade, Childrens, Family, Juvenile

80 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 1993

About the author

Gary Soto is the author of eleven poetry collections for adults, most notably New and Selected Poems, a 1995 finalist for both the Los Angeles Times Book Award and the National Book Award. His poems have appeared in many literary magazines, including Ploughshares, Michigan Quarterly, Poetry International, and Poetry, which has honored him with the Bess Hokin Prize and the Levinson Award and by featuring him in the interview series Poets in Person. He has received fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Guggenheim Foundation. For ITVS, he produced the film “The Pool Party,” which received the 1993 Andrew Carnegie Medal for Film Excellence. In 1997, because of his advocacy for reading, he was featured as NBC’s Person-of-the-Week. In 1999, he received the Literature Award from the Hispanic Heritage Foundation, the Author-Illustrator Civil Rights Award from the National Education Association, and the PEN Center West Book Award for Petty Crimes. He divides his time between Berkeley, California and his hometown of Fresno.

Reviews

[Krista the Krazy Kataloguer · Rating 4 out of 5]

What I really liked about this book was how, despite its brevity, the reader is able to quickly be drawn into the story. Miata and her friend Ana are such appealing characters. Miata has left her folklorico, her colorful dancing skirt, on the bus, and it's Saturday morning and she needs it to dance in on Sunday. How will she get it back by then? So much was made of the traditional Mexican dance that I wished the book had come with a video so I could see it! I also wish Gary Soto would write more books about the adventures and misadventures of Miata and her friends and family. This book would pair well with Alma Flor Ada's My Name is Maria Isabel. Recommended!

[(NS) Becca · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gary Soto wrote The Skirt, illustrated by Eric Velasquez, published by Yearling (1992).

This book is written about a hispanic little girl named Miata. She is very excited because in the coming weekend she will be participating in a dance group to perform a Folklorico. She knows her parents are going to be very proud of her. There is only one problem; she left her beatutiful dress on the bus. The book desribes the trouble Miata goes through to rescue her folklorico dress from the bus over the weekend. The dress means a lot to Miata and her mother. Miata is afraid to get caught, but with the help of a friend, overcomes her obstacles. This book is entertaining and easily relatable. It is authentic and uses good details without over-doing it. I think students would be able to connect to Miata, regardless of their culture.

Reading level is ages 6-9. I could see it being a good book for middle of second grade on average.

[Sequeena]

This book is about a girl named Miata.She has a friend named Ana.THey are good friends.One day they were on the bus and Miata and Ana were on the bus and Miata took her skirt to school.she did not ask her mother and when she took it to school she left it on the bus becaues some boys were messing with her on the bus.Her and Ana here trying to egnor them and they turned there backs on them and stuck there head in the window to eat some animal crackers.When she got off the bus she forgot her skirt on the bus.She thought for minute.I forgot my skirt on the bus!She scremed as loud as she can

[Christina · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars. My students are doing this one for a Book Battle and I promised them I would read it too so we could talk about it. Short quick read that brought me right back to my elementary school days.

[Samantha · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love it when kids get away with the childish things in life.

[Nancy Perez Morales · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Skirt by Gary Soto is a story about Miata who is so excited about dancing the Folklorico, which is a Hispanic traditional dance. Miata is even more excited about dancing because she gets to wear the skirt her mother had gifted her! But when she took the skirt to her school, she accidentally left it on the bus. This book is a beautiful story that captures the traditional dance that the Hispanic community embraces. I personally loved that this book shows a very passionate girl who loves her culture, because I feel that young readers can learn from this! Young readers can use Miata’s confidence to inspire them to embrace who they are where they come from. This can be a great book to introduce different cultures and traditions that children want to share and learn about! Overall, this is such a warm meaningful book that teaches readers about taking care of the important things we have and to embrace our diverse cultures.

[Casey Brady · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Skirt, written by Gary Soto, is a realistic fiction book for children that takes place in the San Joaquin Valley. Miata is riding a bus and due to some boys' teasing, she forgets her skirt on the bus. The skirt was meant for her dance recital over the weekend. Miata is very worried about telling her mother about what happens so she decides to keep it a secret.Knowing that she need to get the skirt back, Miata and her friend Ana decide to break into the parking lot for the buses and get the skirt off the bus. While they are at the parking lot, Miata's father comes to fix one of the broken buses. Miata and Ana hide hoping to stay undetected. Finally seeing a chance to escape, they take it but are spotted by another worker yet are not recognized. Miata returns home with the skirt but her mother had bought her a new one. Miata decides to wear both during the dance recital.

The age range for The Skirt is for the advanced simply due to the higher vocabulary as well as the insertions of Spanish. There actually might need to be an adult present because the Spanish can get confusing for a reader that has no prior knowledge of the language especially for a young reader. The illustrations were very nice. All were hand drawn and black and white. They accented the text very well allowing for a more vivid picture of the events. I only recommend the book to young girls since that seemed to be the target audience. Being a male, I did not really enjoy reading the book but others might have a different opinion.

[Katie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read for Children's Lit class. Gary Soto was a prolific children’s writer known for his representations of Latinx characters until a censorship scandal erupted over a book he was asked to write for the American Girls series. This book focuses on Miata Rodriguez panicking because she has been forgetful and lost one of her belongings--again. But this time, she has lost a skirt that her mother got as a child in Mexico and which Miata needs for her folklorico dance performance on Sunday, so she schemes with her friend Ana about how she can sneak back into the bus to get the skirt. This book is an excellent example of early chapter books for ages 6-9, with short chapters and short simple sentences, as well as scattered illustrations to help readers visualize the characters.

[Stephanie Torres]

When i first started reading this book i thought it would be a good book and it was easy and i thought we were going to have a great time reading , but then when i kept on reading the book it got so boring and i didnt like it at all. This book is so horrible and i dont like it because it doesnt get to the point. Our class mates didnt understand what was the book about and i didnt either. I think that the author should of included more details and should of included funny parts and more.

[Melinda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gary Soto story The Skirt is about a young girl who can forget things. She has taken her folklorico skirt to school and leaves it on the bus. She needs it for the weekend, and is now trying to figure out how to get the skirt back. Miata must find a way to get the skirt back before her performance on Sunday without he mom finding out.

This is a good little book for struggling readers. I will definitely recommend the book to my students.

[Holly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good story of actions and consequences. VERY YOUNG.

[Lynn · Rating 3 out of 5]

A girl brings her folklorio skirt to school for show and tell then leaves it on the school bus on a Friday afternoon. The dress is an heirloom. Her mother owned it as a young girl from Mexico. There is a folklorio dance that she is scheduled to dance in on Sunday. What should she do? How does she get it back. A book for early chapter book readers. Very nice.

[Cynthia Mccoy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Girl fun!

This a great book. It kept my attention the whole time. I know my grandchildren will love it. It had kid types of fun. It showed how kids can problem solve and care what their pare. It also showed their respect for their culture. This book has lots of family love, fun drama, and suspense all rolled up in one book.

[Melinda · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very easy read. The book was one my son was reading for a book bowl competition at school. He's in the 4th grade, and this book was far too simple. I enjoyed the message of the book and exposure to different cultures as well as life in the 1980s.

[Katherine · Rating 3 out of 5]

This little novella is one of the quickest reads around. A sweet story about an earnest, if flighty, young girl named Miata wanting to honor her heritage in a Folklorico dance skirt passed on from her mother, which she has unfortunately left behind on a bus.

[Jodi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just the right amount of tension for me. Fun, adventurous, and important.

[Pat · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a delight to read this slice of life! My only complaint is that it ended too soon.

[Susannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

We all lose things. Join Miata in her search and enjoy all the people in her life.

[Kali Burks-Mosier · Rating 4 out of 5]

Simple and cute short story. My students apparently read it elementary school, they were really excited that I was reading it too.

[Liv · Rating 3 out of 5]

Age rating: 6-10

This was a cute story. I like how it wasn’t the obvious moral story about telling the truth. I liked that the girl in the story honors her culture.

[Meg · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this early chapter book a lot. There was enough narrative tension to keep you wondering what would happen, but it was resolved in a nice slow denouement with a beautiful twist. (These days it seems like much kids' and YA literature always has to have a giant over-the-top climax with like 1 page of denouement.) The pacing felt very real-life. I liked that the main character reflected about her character traits and flaws (always losing stuff) but it didn't turn into a moralizing lesson or anything. Also, it was nice that the story incorporated Miata's Mexican-American culture as part of the character and plot development, but without a lot of stress or conflict around issues of assimilation or prejudice.

A side note about parents and gender: The dad works as a welder all week, comes home and watches baseball on TV, while the mom makes dinner, cleans the house, and worries about her children's clothing. This may be realistic for many families, yet I am kind of tired of reading children's books with these same dynamics and would love to see books that mix it up a little and offer a different picture. (I felt the kids were less stereotyped and more 3-dimensional - for example, our main character is excellent at math, and is physically brave and always scraping up her knees in some adventure. She also dances folklorico, likes pretty clothing, and complains about boys teasing her.)

[Gale · Rating 2 out of 5]

THE CONSEQUENCE OF CARELESSNESS

Fourth-grader Miata learns the importance of friendship and the need to act responsibly when she realizes that she accidentally left her mother's prized folkloric skirt on the school bus. Since she needs to wear it for Sunday performance she sets out to break into the parked bus--encountering various moral and legal dilemmmas. Gradually she realizes what a tangled web she has needlesly woven--from the moment she chose to deceive adults, instead of requesting their aid.

Soto undertands the lifestyle of Hispanic Americans, but he lets his young protagonist sort out her mess in her own way--skirting the embarrassing truth. Without a confession to relieve her private torment Miata never makes things right with her concerned parents, who remain in suspicious ignorance about her strange behavior. How wil she handle SUnday when she lacks a costume? This short story might send a divisive message to children tryng to make their way in a complex adult world, for Miata does not demonstrate Trust in her own family--onnin any adult. Heavy burdens for a girl who made one small and then many bigger mistakes in judgment.

(May 5, 2011. I welcome dialogue with teachers.)

[Bernadette · Rating 3 out of 5]

An easy and fun read! Soto weaves Mexican American culture in to a story any child can relate to – losing something important and going on an adventure to find it. But by having the protagonist be Mexican American and losing something of cultural value, Soto gives Hispanic students a chance to see themselves in a positive light in literature. Soto uses Spanish phrases throughout the book and describes other cultural markers such as when Ana's grandmother answers the phone and speaks in Spanish. He also describes the food, occupations, and pastimes of Miata's family. A nice touch is also when the girls are in the library and both point out on the globe where their respective families are from in Mexico; one girl's parents were born in L.A. and the other's born in Mexico. Here Soto is showing the variety within a cultural label such as Mexican American. The illustrations were also well done and show variety in physical features. I think students (maybe mostly girls) of any cultural background would enjoy and learn from this story.

[Dekayla]

This book [THE SKIRT:] was mainley about a girl on one Friday evening, who happened to leve her skirt on the school bus.This skirt wasn't just any skirt,this was a very special skirt to Miata and her family.So on Saterday morning,Miata and some of her friends [Rewdalfo and Ana:] went to the bus yard to get Miata's skirt.When they got the skirt,Miata,Rewdalfo and Ana,went threre seperit ways home.When Miata got home,her mom told her that she had a surprise for her.Then Miata's mom slowly reached for a big box.When Miata opened it,it was a brand new skirt.The next day [Sunday:] Miata danced in not one but,both of her skirts.


Q.number 1-The main chariters in the story ? They were Rewdalfo,Miata,and Ana.
Q.number 2-What was the problem ? Miata left her skirt on the bus.
Q.number 3-How did she solve it ? By going to the bus yard.
Q.number 4-What did I learn ? To never leve nonthing on the bus.
Q.number 5-Did I like the book or not ? Why ? Yes I did like this book because it told alot of details about what was going on in the book.

[Steph · Rating 5 out of 5]

Once again, Gary Soto delivers another "slice of life" that falls into the adorable category. Don't be deceived by its adorability into thinking that this short story doesn't have substance. It does! Soto is clever in the way he creates a text that is fun for a young adult audience to read, and yet rich in nuance for adults to read.
Every middle school aged child can relate to Miata and Ana sneaking around to find what they lost, trying not to get caught by parents or other adults. And every adult can figure out that the skirt is cultural significance.
I also enjoy the way in which Soto develops characters who are first and second generation Mexicans/Americans. One character has never even been to Mexico, and yet she still feels it's necessary to help her friend "find" her link (the skirt) to her culture, to find it, to keep it, to hold onto it, and to treasure it.
I love this short story, and I have no doubt this will be one of the works during my year of reading all things Chicanx/Latinx/Hispanic that I go back and read again and again.

[Kyra Wonders · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is about a girl named Miata who left her dancing skirt on her school bus on Friday, it belonged to her mother when she was younger. Afraid to tell her mother she keeps quite, she creates a plan to get her skirt back by breaking into the buses and taking her skirt back. Close to getting caught, she runs backs home only to find her mother had bought her a new skirt. She wore both to dance, which I thought was a nice ending to the book. It would be a good book for younger students to read, but doesn't send the right message. I am a little lost with this book as it is a great little story but I don’t think it has a positive message in it. Miata should have just told her mother what happened instead of breaking into the busses. In the end it all worked out but I am iffy on if I would share this in my classroom. I might use is as to teach what NOT to do.

[zabarj · Rating 3 out of 5]

Guided Reading Level: N
Summary:Miata has left the beautiful folkloric skirt her mother wore in Mexico on the bus. She was going to wear the skirt on Sunday when her dance group performed.

My Take: This is a good book for students in two different ways: the reading level and the content. Students develop a better understanding for another culture and an item that some may value. The skirt is an object used to show how a young Mexican girl is involved in her community and her culture. She loses the skirt, finds it, and in the end, is given another skirt by her mother. After all Miata's efforts to find the skirt, she decides to wear both for her dance group. Narrative elements are present, even though basic, present some basic character development and plot.

[Ashley Teagle · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would recommend this book to a third or fourth grader. I liked the cultural references but not every Spanish term was explained within the text. For that reason, I would say it would be a good book to recommend to Spanish speakers or to a child who in addition to this novel may be reading other nonfiction about Mexican food and culture to supplement the book. I think it was a good book about an elementary school child dealing with an age appropriate concern. The overall tone of this book is lighthearted.

[Lauren Barone · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is about a Mexican-American girl who leaves her mothers special skirt on her bus. She then needs to undergo a journey with a friend of hers in order to get the skirt back. She wants to wear it do to a special dance and cannot wear it unless she retrieves it back. I would use this book to demonstrate the importance of the skirt to children in my class and the values of those of other cultures.

[Jeremy · Rating 1 out of 5]

I have to apologize to my seventh grade class for choosing this book to read as a group. Usually Gary Soto books are pretty good ("Living Up the Street" was a good read), but this is horrible. Not only is it boring, but it's hard to remember what happened and what the point of the story is. Fortunately, it is a short book and we will be finished soon.