Crazy Loco [Hardcover]

David Talbot Rice (Author), Christian Clayton (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1, 2001

Lively, fascinating, and often laugh-out-loud funny, this short story collection provides an intimate glimpse into the life of Mexican American kids in South Texas. From the tale of a boy's first crush to that of a girl who yearns to see more of the world, from the feud between Texas brothers and their California cousins to the exploits of a reluctant altar boy, from a poignant reminiscence about a family's maid to a zany tale of a car-crazy dog, this collection is a whirlwind of insight and entertainment. Loosely based on the author's own Mexican American childhood, Crazy Loco depicts a South Texas full of charm, humor and energy.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Gr 7 Up-Two great strengths of these stories are the pitch-perfect sense for the speech and thought patterns of teens and the vivid depiction of the daily lives of Mexican-Americans in Texas's Rio Grande Valley. One story focuses on two small-town boys trying to cope when their older and more sophisticated California cousins come to visit. Another is about the loving relationship between a girl and her great-aunt, a midwife who retires at age 85 after her grand-niece is born. Another tells of a teen who resents having to move in with his grandfather after his parents' divorce and having to adapt to the old man's ways. Rice highlights the details of these ordinary lives-including Spanish words and phrases as well as Catholic practices-while still revealing the universal patterns behind the cultural particularities. The strongest stories here-"Last Mass," "Her Other Son," and "Papa Lalo"-also display a firm control of narrative and dramatic unity, drawing readers on to emotionally satisfying but not predictable conclusions. In the weaker stories, the insights and the voice are still sharp, but the narratives are less compelling. Even so, this is a powerful collection that should enjoy a wide audience.

Coop Renner, Moreno Elementary School, El Paso, TX

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Gr. 7-12. Crazy Loco collects nine stories rooted in everyday life in a small town in South Texas. Like the best short fiction, they reveal their deepest truths obliquely, in the details of small moments and gestures. In the title story, a boy names his dog Crazy Loco--a wonderful, casual illustration of the characters' constant bilingual shifts between cultures. There are family struggles too: in "Her Other Son," a boy registers both the tensions and the "deep rhythms of comfort and peace" in his family. There are sexy scenes of first kisses and frightening moments with the border police. Sometimes the metaphors are too heavy; one links a bird's release to a girl's desire to leave her home for college. But Rice, author of Give the Pig a Chance (1996), blends humor and precise detail, creating believable, imperfect, complex characters that are at once rowdy, subversive, and devoted to family and tradition. Gillian Engberg
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 12 and up
  
• Hardcover: 160 pages
• Publisher: Dial (May 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0803725981
• ISBN-13: 978-0803725980
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.2 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.3 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,719,119 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Move over Gary Soto/Haste un lado Gary Soto, July 2, 2001

By 

Ruben Degollado - See all my reviews

This review is from: Crazy Loco (Hardcover)

David Rice's second book Crazy Loco is a collection of short stories that kicks off the new wave of young adult Chicano literature. As an English teacher I've sought quality Chicano literature for my kids and aside from Gary Soto, there isn't much out there. I'm glad to see that's changing. Rice's stories are hilarious and even though they're set in South Texas with mostly Chicano characters, they will appeal to all kids. I shared stories from his previous book, Give the Pig a Chance, with my students and they loved them. Since his style has improved and these stories are funnier, I know my students will love Crazy Loco even more. My favorites of the bunch were "Crazy Loco" and "Proud to be an American." They are about two things most kids are experts about: dogs and fireworks. Other stories are heartfelt. "Papa Lalo" will strike a chord with children who have lived through divorce or have lost their grandparents. "Valentine" is about the pain and power of first love. David Rice writes the Rio Grande Valley of Texas like few other authors can. He is a great new voice in Chicano fiction and one to watch in the future.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Crazy Loco, a Crazy Collection, June 27, 2001

By 

Rene Saldana, Jr. (Lawrenceville GA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Crazy Loco (Hardcover)

I've heard David Rice read a few of the stories in this collection back in South Texas at different venues and was amazed at how much his writing had matured since his first book (Give the Pig a Chance--another fine book in its own right). A side note to anyone with an opportunity to experience Rice's presentations--take the chance, go out of your way if you have to, but do listen to him. Back to the book: I was so looking forward to Crazy Loco, and when I got my copy, I got right to it. Dropped Moby Dick, and slowed down on To the Lighthouse to finish Crazy Loco. The stories, most of which are told in the first person, the narrators varying from story to story, are humorous and fun to read. But I feel the strongest pieces are the ones in which Rice cuts out the humor, and gets down to some serious business, like in "Last Mass" and "Her Other Son." These stories are emotional without being sentimental. These stories bring to mind others of his works, namely "Tina La Tinaca" from his first collection, and they show exactly why Rice is being published today.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Papa Lalo, April 16, 2003

By 

evana (the valley) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Crazy Loco (Hardcover)

I just recently finished reading both of Rice's books: Give The Pig A Chance, and Crazy Loco.
I have comments on several of his short stories, but overall, I'd like to say that his writing is very inspiring to me - I didn't expect for stories this short to be full with such great symbolism.
In his short story, Papa Lalo, Henry was given a compass from his grandfather, as a gift.
A compass always faces North. The Earth has it's own magnetic polarity that magnifies the pull of a compass to face due North. The compass could have symbolized the unbearable "magnetic pull": that Harry had with his grandfather. Even though Harry didn't realize he shared any common ground, or any connection with his grandfather - He always had that "magnetic pull" a "bond" that we sometimes are unfamiliar with until we try to face another direction in life - or until life points us in a new direction.

This was a very well written, carefully thought out story.