For fans of Gary Soto and Matt de la Peña comes a tale of a contemporary Mexican-American family with a "spunky and imaginative heroine" (Publishers Weekly).Miata Ramirez is scared and upset. The skirt she brought to show off at school is gone. She brought her forklorico skirt to show off at school and left it on the bus. It’s not just any skirt. This skirt belonged to Miata’s mother when she was a child in Mexico. On Sunday, Miata and her dance group are supposedgoing to dance forklorico, or traditional Mexican folk dances; and that kind of dancing requires a skirt like the one Miata lost. It’s Friday afternoon. Miata doesn’ t want her parents to know she’s lost something again. Can she find a way to rescue the precious skirt in time?
With its focus on family ties, friendship, and ethnic pride and Includes an afterword from its acclaimedthe author,
The Skirt is a story that children everywhere will relate to and be inspired by, no matter their background.
"
A light, engaging narrative that successfully combines information on Hispanic culture with familiar and recognizable childhood themes....A fine read-aloud and discussion starter, this story blends cultural differences with human similarities to create both interest and understanding."—
SLJ
“
Light, easy reading . . . offering readers a cast and situations with which to identify, whatever their own ethnic origins.”—
The Bulletin
"Soto's light tale offers a pleasant blend of family ties, friendship and ethnic pride...[and Miata is]
a spunky and imaginative heroine."—
Publishers Weekly
On sale: April 1, 1997
Age: 8-12 years
Grade: Grades 3-7
Page count: 80 Pages
ISBN: 9780440409243
Reading level: Lexile: 540L | Fountas/Pinnell: N
Born in Fresno, California to Mexican American parents, Gary Soto learned the hard work ethic through his share of chores, including mowing lawns, picking grapes, painting house numbers on street curbs, and washing cars. His hard work paid off at California State University at Fresno, from which he graduated with an English degree, and later at the University of California at Irvine, where he earned a Masters of Fine Arts in Creative Writing. Gary Soto is an acclaimed poet, essayist, and fiction writer. The awards for this multi-talented author are many, ranging from the U.S. Award for International Poetry Forum to a Before Columbus Foundation American Book Award and in was nominated for a National Book Award. His other credits include fellowships from the Guggenheim Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the California Arts Council.
When he is not writing, Mr. Soto serves as a volunteer English teacher at his church. He also enjoys eating at new restaurants, which he does often with his wife, Carolyn, and their daughter Mariko. Other members of the Soto household include their two cats, Corky and Sharkie. The Soto family resides in Berkeley, California.
"Soto's light tale offers a pleasant blend of family ties, friendship and ethnic pride...[and Miata is]
a spunky and imaginative heroine."-
Publishers Weekly
"
A light, engaging narrative that successfully combines information on Hispanic culture with familiar and recognizable childhood themes....A fine read-aloud and discussion starter, this story blends cultural differences with human similarities to create both interest and understanding."-
SLJ
“
Light, easy reading . . . offering readers a cast and situations with which to identify, whatever their own ethnic origins.”—
The Bulletin
