Any Small Goodness A Novel of the Barrio by Tony Johnston is a novel about learning from life experiences and then turning that learning into service for the community. Arturo is a Mexican immigrant to L.A. who is trying to find his way in the world of a not always nice city. From trying to fit in at school where the teacher changes his name to something easier for her to pronounce, to not having books in the library, to gang problems in the neighborhood, this is a story about a young man who chooses to do good after some not so good experiences. When his family is targeted by a local gang, he decided to start his own gang and calls it the "Green Needle Gang". Read this really good story to find the twist in the plot!
I highly recommend this book to anyone working with immigrant students or service learning. It shows the experiences of a child trying to learn his way in a new world and turning what he learns into good for others. Learning and Serving!
I highly recommend this book to anyone working with immigrant students or service learning. It shows the experiences of a child trying to learn his way in a new world and turning what he learns into good for others. Learning and Serving!
1 comment:
I found this review very interesting. I cannot always keep up with what my kids are 'supposed' to be reading vs. what they 'want' to read, or what's 'good' for them to read. I will see if I can find this book and leave it about for my middle schooler, and my late-elementary schooler as well.
Thank you!
Eden Kate's Mom
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