Neighborhood Odes

Summary
In this poetry anthology Gary Soto provides twenty-one glimpses into the lives of ordinary objects such as pomegranates, pinatas, and sprinklers. Through his conversational tone, Soto brings a new understanding to the lifestyle of the Hispanic population.

Analysis
The poems in this anthology are filled with rhythmic and thoughtful prose. Each poem contains at least one Spanish word, and the English/Spanish glossary in the back help the non-native Spanish speakers engage with and understand the poems. Soto steers clear of any racial stereotyping, and portrays the Hispanic lifestyle beautifully, accurately and authentically. Diaz' woodcut illustrations in this book are unique and interesting, and seem to be stories waiting to be told themselves. This book is appropriate for 4th graders and up, and has won the following awards: An ALA Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Adult Readers, a Horn Book Fanfare Selection, a NCSS-CBC Notable Children's Trade Book in the Field of Social Studies, a Parenting Magic Award Winner.

This book was a little difficult for me to read, mainly because of the binding. The sewn binding was either too tight, or not done correctly which made the book difficult to open. I also grew a little tired of the ode style of poetry. I would have preferred it if Soto had mixed up the style of poems in this anthology. The odes are interesting and well done, and oftentimes made me laugh, I just wish for a little more variety. Of the odes, the Ode to the Mayor (page 64) is a delightful and accurate portrayal of a jealous sibling complaining about his showboating brother. There are other gems to not be missed in this anthology, and this book does provide the reader with a glimpse into a lifestyle that they may not be familiar with, and perhaps that was Mr. Soto's plan all along. If that's the case, then he accomplished this goal with this anthology.

Key Words:
eggplants, chihuahua, pomegranate, briquets, abandoned, taunting