2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The humanity-saving importance of goodness, December 19, 2009
This review is from: A Any Small Goodness: A Novel of the Barrio (Paperback)
One of the best books for children and adults that I have read in years. A beautiful portrayal of a Mexican American family and a positive view of the people living in the barrio. The stories are simple but moving and socially-uplifting. A must-read for students 5th grade to 12th grade because of the positive and inspiring content. There is a "need" for this story to be read both in the schools and at home because being tough is not nearly as important or life-sustaing as the human need to experience goodness and kindness, no matter how small. After a day of encountering rudeness from almost every corner, I read this story in one sitting. The examples of what "goodness" is possible if we celebrate and teach the need to consider others, outside of the obvious, was healing to me.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Pretty Good Book, November 23, 2005
This review is from: A Any Small Goodness: A Novel of the Barrio (Paperback)
The reviews on the inside cover of this book describe Arturo, the protagonist, as `a Latino Holden Caulfield'. Well, no.
After reading a few Hispanic American novels, I am beginning to see some similarities. They have all been family based, family oriented. They each include a glossary to help readers with the Spanish words and phrases sprinkled throughout the text. They are life affirming and tell an uplifting tale.
Any Small Goodness runs along the same lines. The title comes from what Arturo's father tells him: "In life there is bueno and there is malo. If you do not find enough of the good, you must yourself create it ... Remember this thing - any small goodness is of value."
To this end, Arturo and his friends form the Green Needle gang. In the Los Angeles barrio that is their home, they must deal with real street gangs. But the Green Needle gang sneaks up to people's houses and leave Christmas trees and gifts on the porch. This is only one of the ways they concoct to make their lives and neighborhood better.
Arturo and his friends resist their teacher's efforts to Americanize their names (Arturo, Jaime, Alicia, Raul become Arthur, James, Alice, and Ralph, but only briefly). They are proud of their Hispanic heritage and look to Arturo's grandmother as a touchstone to the traditional ways. She cooks Mexican food, uses old time utensils, and speaks Spanish. Arturo is both proud of his grandmother and embarrassed by her - in the fashion of all teens. But they are Americans, after all, and participate in all that is American. Some of the characters that walk on are an ex-NBA player who volunteers to coach at their school, a media specialist with a flair for choosing the perfect book, and a do-gooder piano teacher who keeps candy atop the piano to stave off sinking spells.
While this is a worthwhile and enjoyable book, each chapter is a little story unto itself. There is not as much continuity of story as in an ordinary book. Some of the story does spill over into the culminating formation of the Green Needle gang at the end, thus bringing the message home.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Any Small Goodness, May 14, 2003
A liberal sprinkling of Spanish with a full measure of cultural similes makes this dish a spicy/sweet offering on the menu of "must reads". Eleven year old Arturo grows up in the L.A. barrio in a loving, supportive, extended family. He learns to develop a sense of "self" and respect for his people, his culture, and his neighborhood, while resisting the influence of "cholos" (lowlifes). Arturo and his friends find a creative, covert method to counteract damage inflicted by poverty and gangs. This is a funny, touching glimpse into Hispanic culture in L.A.
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