These lively stories follow Rey Castaneda from sixth through eighth grade in Nuevo Penitas, Texas. One side of Rey's family lives nearby in Mexico, the other half in Texas, and Rey fits in on both sides of the border. In Nuevo Penitas, he enjoys fooling around with his pals in the barrio; at school, he's one of the "A list" kids. As Rey begins to cross the border from childhood into manhood, he turns from jokes and games to sense the meaning of work, love, poverty, and grief, and what it means to be a proud Chicano-moments that sometimes propel him to show feelings un hombre should never express. It's a new territory where Rey longs to follow the example his hardworking, loving father has set for him.

The Jumping Tree: A Novel

Children's Books

Saldana Jr., Rene

Biographies

Delacorte Books for Young Readers

THESE STORIES TAKE the reader to meet mochos; cholos; Mr. and Mrs. Special; Manny with his mysterious phone calls; Melly, who dreams of being the first girl to take the Dive; Andy and Ruthie, who find that being “boyfriend-girlfriend” takes on new meaning the night of the prom; and Chuy, who seems determined to get kicked out of school. Each distinct voice shares secret thoughts that draw the reader into daily dramas of love, danger, loyalty, and pride. In the final story, a shocking tragedy reverberates through the barrio. “With this collection, Saldaña makes a significant contribution to the field of Latino short stories for young readers.”—VOYA, Starred “These powerfully written, provocative selections have universal appeal and subtle, thoughtful themes.”—School Library Journal “While much is revealed, just as much is implied, making the stories layered and rich while still rendering them accessible.”—The Bulletin

Finding Our Way

Literature & Fiction

Wendy Lamb Books

Barry can punch anyone hard enough to make them see a whole sky full of stars, though that's not really his style. Barry and Alby have been friends since the first grade. They've always protected one another. When Barry's pop dies, times are tough and the only thing Barry has of value is his dad's 1964 Ford Galaxie. Meanwhile Alby's got himself into big trouble with a cardshark. So he hatches a plan to make money. To help out Barry, but also to help himself. The problem is, Barry could get hurt, and it just might cost Alby their friendship. How much can you ask of a friend?

The Whole Sky Full of Stars

Teen & Young Adult

Barry can punch anyone hard enough to make them see a whole sky full of stars, though that's not really his style. Barry and Alby have been friends since the first grade. They've always protected one another. When Barry's pop dies, times are tough and the only thing Barry has of value is his dad's 1964 Ford Galaxie. Meanwhile Alby's got himself into big trouble with a cardshark. So he hatches a plan to make money. To help out Barry, but also to help himself. The problem is, Barry could get hurt, and it just might cost Alby their friendship. How much can you ask of a friend? From the Hardcover edition.

The Jumping Tree

Laurel-Leaf

THESE STORIES TAKE the reader to meet mochos; cholos; Mr. and Mrs. Special; Manny with his mysterious phone calls; Melly, who dreams of being the first girl to take the Dive; Andy and Ruthie, who find that being “boyfriend-girlfriend” takes on new meaning the night of the prom; and Chuy, who seems determined to get kicked out of school. Each distinct voice shares secret thoughts that draw the reader into daily dramas of love, danger, loyalty, and pride. In the final story, a shocking tragedy reverberates through the barrio. “With this collection, Saldaña makes a significant contribution to the field of Latino short stories for young readers.”—VOYA, Starred “These powerfully written, provocative selections have universal appeal and subtle, thoughtful themes.”—School Library Journal “While much is revealed, just as much is implied, making the stories layered and rich while still rendering them accessible.”—The Bulletin From the Hardcover edition.

Borders are magical places, and growing up on a border, crossing and recrossing that space where this becomes that, creates a very special sort of person, one in whom multiple cultures, languages, identities and truths mingle in powerful ways. In these eight stories and sixteen poems, a wide range of authors explore issues that confront young people along the US-Mexico border, helping their unique voices to be heard and never ignored. Featuring the work of David Rice, Xavier Garza, Jan Seale, Guadalupe García McCall, Diana Gonzales Bertrand, and many others.

Juventud! Growing up on the Border: Stories and Poems

VAO Publishing

When Toots Rodriguez approaches Mickey on the playground, he knows something is up. Toots, the prettiest girl in the fifth grade, never talks to Mickey, not even when they're assigned to work together on a class project. But Toots has come to Mickey because she's in trouble, and he's a detective. The real deal. He has a badge and a certificate after completing an online course two years ago. ''You have to believe me, Mickey. I didn't take that pen. I didn't.'' When Toots shines her big green eyes on him and insists repeatedly that she's innocent, Mickey's intuition tells him to run fast in the opposite direction. But he's a sucker for a pretty girl, so he takes on the case of the missing pen. Rumor has it that Toots stole Eddy's pen. It's not just any old pen; it's his dad's pen. It has the White House logo on it. Eddy's father, a senator from South Texas, got the pen from the President of the United States when he visited the White House last year. As Mickey begins his investigation, though, all the clues point to Toots and her newly ex-boyfriend as the primary suspects. The first book in The Mickey Rangel Mystery series for intermediate readers, author and educator Rene Saldana, Jr. has crafted another appealing book for kids, and his wise-cracking, smart protagonist will appeal to even the most reluctant readers.

The Case of the Pen Gone Missing/El Caso de La Pluma Perdida: A Mickey Rangel Mystery/Coleccion Mickey Rangel, Detective Privado (English and Spanish Edition)

Mysteries & Detectives

Pinata Books

"Stop it. The two of you, stop it! You're father and son; you should love each other." Roelito howls at his father and older brother as their heated argument turns into a pushing, shoving match. Beto has again come home way past curfew, and worse, smelling like a cantina. When Beto Sr. tells his son that he either needs to follow the rules or leave, the boy--a senior in high school and a man as far as he's concerned--decides to leave, right then, in the middle of the night. Once he has walked away, though, he realizes he has nowhere to go. Maybe his best friend Jessy--a hard-as-nails girl who has run away before can help him. The story of Beto's decision to run away and drop out of school is told from shifting perspectives in which the conflicted lives of Roel, Beto, and Jessy are revealed in short, poignant scenes that reflect teen-age life along the Texas-Mexico border. Each one has a good long way to go in growing up. Roel fights against the teachers' assumptions that he's like Beto. Unlike his big brother, Roel is book smart and actually enjoys school. Jessy is smart too, but most of her teachers can't see beyond her tough-girl faÃ§ade. Her parents are so busy fighting with each other that they don t notice her, even if she s packing a suitcase to leave. And Beto . . . somewhere along the way he quit caring about school. And his teachers have noticed and given up too. Author and educator Rene Saldana, Jr. once again writes a fast-paced, thought-provoking novel that will engage young adults in questions about their own lives and responsibilities to family, friends, and most of all, to themselves.

A Good Long Way

Arte Publico Press

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Saldana Jr., Rene. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Saldana Jr., Rene

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Saldana Jr., Rene. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

The Jumping Tree: A Novel

Finding Our Way

The Whole Sky Full of Stars

The Whole Sky Full of Stars

The Jumping Tree

Finding Our Way

The Whole Sky Full of Stars

Juventud! Growing up on the Border: Stories and Poems

The Case of the Pen Gone Missing/El Caso de La Pluma Perdida: A Mickey Rangel Mystery/Coleccion Mickey Rangel, Detective Privado (English and Spanish Edition)

A Good Long Way