Gary Soto

This short-story collection features tales of young Latinos in California who face real-life problems big and small, including making the baseball team. While baseball isn’t the focus of every story, the coming-of-age themes are relatable to any tween.

Eddie’s father, two uncles, and best friend are all dead, and it’s a struggle for him not to end up the same way. Violence makes Fresno wallow in tears, as if a huge onion were buried beneath the city. Making an effort to walk a straight line despite constant temptations and frustrations, Eddie searches for answers — and discovers that his closest friends may actually be his worst enemies.

Our narrator Chuy is dead! He was stabbed in a nightclub bathroom by another teen who misunderstood something he said. As he floats around in the afterlife, he not only learns about being dead, but he also comes to understand his short life.