Partly Cloudy: Poems of Love and Longing [Hardcover]

Gary Soto (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 1, 2009

A poignant, humorous collection by acclaimed poet Gary Soto

The fleeting emotions of teenagers, as changeable as the weather, ring true in these emotionally resonant poems. Told from the point of view of both boys and girls, narrators of various ethnicities fall in love for the first time, pine over crushes, and brood over broken hearts. Tender, lighthearted, and surprising, this collection will capture teens, tweens, and anyone who remembers what it’s like to be a young person in love.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 6–9—Soto skillfully captures the voice and emotions of young teens in love. The free verse poems are grouped together in two sections: "A Girl's Tears, Her Songs" and "A Boy's Body, His Words." There are selections about first kisses ("I haven't been kissed, /But I'm waiting"), young love ("We were young, not yet fourteen./What chance could our love have/In a world so rough?"), jealousy ("You narrowed your eyes at me,/Flashed red coals from deep inside you"), and rejection ("When she said no,/I took my loneliness to the river"). In "Danger" a boy says, "If I knew you were in trouble,/I would take a shovel and shovel my way/To your house, six blocks away,/And risk live wires hissing like snakes./Love, I know, can be hazardous to my health." Since many of the narrators are 13 or 14 years old, these short, accessible poems will appeal to middle schoolers, especially. A great addition to poetry collections.—Ann Nored, Wilson Central High School, Lebanon, TN
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From Booklist

“If only you would turn / And see me / Seeing you.” In rapid, clear free verse, young teens, both girls and boys, speak about falling in love—the jealousy, loneliness, and hurt of rejection and breaking up, as well as the romantic bliss. The speakers are as varied as their hairdos, which include curls, straight locks, Afros, or green spikes; and the contemporary settings are diverse, too, from the classroom (“I secretly open my cell / And look at you, digitally caught”) and cafeteria (“Lucky fork touched your lips”) to the forest (“where boys go / When a girl says no”) and town streets, where the speakers skateboard. The sex is minimal, mostly dreams (“Her hair against my throat / And the pink bud of her tongue”), and even parents’ discussion of sex isn’t direct; in one poem, a dad tries, and fails, to talk about the birds and the bees. Young teens will enjoy the “love sick” puns and the metaphors, lyrical and sad, that show there is poetry in the way they speak. Grades 6-9. --Hazel Rochman

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 12 and up
  
• Hardcover: 112 pages
• Publisher: Harcourt Children's Books (February 1, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0152063013
• ISBN-13: 978-0152063016
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.4 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,251,130 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Born in Fresno, California to Mexican American parents, Gary Soto learned the hard work ethic through his share of chores, including mowing lawns, picking grapes, painting house numbers on street curbs, and washing cars. His hard work paid off at California State University at Fresno, from which he graduated with an English degree, and later at the University of California at Irvine, where he earned a Masters of Fine Arts in Creative Writing.Gary Soto is an acclaimed poet, essayist, and fiction writer. The awards for this multi-talented author are many, ranging from the U.S. Award for International Poetry Forum in 1977 for his first published book of poetry, The Elements of San Joaquin, to a Before Columbus Foundation American Book Award in 1985 for Living Up the Street, his first published work of prose recollections. His short story collection Baseball in April, was named an American Library Association's Best Book for Young Adults. In 1993 Gary Soto received the Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Children's Video for Pool Party, and in 1995 he was nominated for a National Book Award.His other credits include fellowships from the Guggenheim Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the California Arts Council. Gary Soto is also one of the youngest poets to appear in the Norton Anthology of Modern Poetry. Several of his books have been translated into French, Spanish and Italian.Too Many Tamales was named a Booklist Books for Youth Editors' Choices of 1993. Hazel Rochman of Booklist said, "Gary Soto is an accomplished poet and adult writer, and his children's stories are widely popular. His first entry into the picture book genre is a joyful success."When he is not writing, Mr. Soto serves as a volunteer English teacher at his church. He also enjoys eating at new restaurants, which he does often with his wife, Carolyn, and their daughter Mariko. Other members of the Soto household include their two cats, Corky and Sharkie. The Soto family resides in Berkeley, California.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Free Verse with Rhythm and Magic, February 28, 2010

By 

Whatcha Reading Now? (Florida, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Partly Cloudy: Poems of Love and Longing (Hardcover)

Partly Cloudy is a collection of poems about young love. From sad love to happy love, poet and author Gary Soto captures these amorous feelings using two perspectives: boy and girl. Surprisingly, Soto manages to write these poems without making them sappy. They are funny and touching, not overly sentimental.

Gary Soto's poems do not rhyme, but have a rhythm and magic of their own. Soto provides an interesting take on love. While a girl describes an ex-boyfriend as a fickle bee in one poem, a boy in another poem describes a pretty girl as a basketball center.

A National Book Award finalist and Pulitzer Prize nominee, Gary Soto is an acclaimed writer for children and adults. His other works include his first children's book, Baseball in April (a collection of short stories), several picture books, novels, and other poems and short stories. Unlike most poetry books about love, Partly Cloudy is enjoyable for both boys and girls. Chuckles are guaranteed.
--Reviewed by Veronica L. Hernandez