The Pool Party [Paperback]

Gary Soto (Author)

Book Description

Rudy Herrera is surprised and excited when he  gets an invitation to a pool party. It's from Tiffany  Perez, the richest and most popular girl in  school.

Rudy's grandmother, "El  Shorty," thinks he is going off to shoot pool.  His sister, Estela, warns him not to make a fool  of himself, or worse, embarass her. Rudy's father  teaches him how to make small talk and tells him  Tiffany will like him because he's a real person,  not a phony.

All Rudy cares about  is what to wear, what kinds of dives to do, and  what to bring Tiffany. When the big day arrives, Rudy  is in high spirits. Will he make a big splash at  the pool party?

From Grandfather  "El Shorty" to Little Rudy, the Herreras are a  family who not only live and work together, but  love and enjoy one another. Gary Soto, poet and  storyteller, gives young readers a story of simple  pleasures, simply told and simply wonderful.


From the Hardcover edition.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

As he did in The Skirt , Soto again portrays a working-class Mexican American family. When Rudy Herrera is invited to a pool party by a wealthy classmate, he muses about what it will be like and tries to come up with an appropriate gift for his hostess. Rudy's relatives offer plenty of advice on how to make small talk and his father stresses that Rudy be proud of his heritage and his family--no matter what. In the days leading up to the big event Rudy and his friend Alex get into a few scrapes, but the pool toy that they finally find ends up being the hit of the party. This time out Soto delivers a quick read, liberally flavored with slapstick humor and sprinkled with a few stereotypical situations (the boys hitch a ride with two guys who have stolen a car, for example). The novel, however, lacks the flashes of emotional intensity found in the author's other works. Nonetheless, Rudy's eccentric grandfather, self-conscious teenage sister and other colorful characters, along with snippets of Spanish, lend authenticity to this breezy slice of Hispanic life. Casilla's black-and-white pencil drawings allow for some warm facial expressions, but are otherwise fairly static and do not elaborate much on the text. Ages 7-10.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From School Library Journal

Grade 4-7-- Rudy is an average kid from a nice family. In his young life, between the time he receives an invitation to a rich girl's pool party and his subsequent social success there, various episodes occur that will entertain readers with their humor and assure them with their familiarity. In one scene, Rudy astonishes the mother of his hostess by overdoing it on the small talk his father has advised him to employ. In another episode, a sense of relief at the boys' close call is inevitable when, thinking they're performing a good deed, they help two men steal a Mercedes. A few elements make this story special: the poetic perfection Soto exhibits both in description and in authentic dialogue and the immersion of readers into the bosom of a loving, hard-working Mexican-American family. --Susan F. Marcus, Pollard Middle School, Needham, MA
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 112 pages
• Publisher: Yearling (June 1, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 044041010X
• ISBN-13: 978-0440410102
• Product Dimensions: 7.4 x 5.1 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.5 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,686,500 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great for kids, March 26, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: The Pool Party (Paperback)

I remember being so captivated when reading this book in the fifth grade that I read it in one sitting! I had hated reading books before that. Soto is a great author and his story's will appeal to all kids.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Pool party, December 9, 2002

By 

Carlos Arechiga (Bell, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Pool Party (Paperback)

The Pool Party by Gary Soto is a great story of a little hispanic boy named Rudy that gets invited to a pool party of a wealthy friend. Rudy's family is concerned that Rudy will not fit in and proceed to give him advice on what way he should act at the party. In the mean time Rudy decided that he is going to take an inner tube to the party against the wishes of his sister who told him that in a pool party, people don't actually go into the water and just chat by the side of the pool. Rudy listens to everyones advice, but at the end he does what he thinks is right and goes to the party and just does what is right for himself. The inner tube that he takes to the party is well received by everyone and he has a good time. This book is great for children in the fifth grade and on to read because it teaches them that being yourself is the right thing to do.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fitting In, December 5, 2002

By 

"xcalder" (Los Angeles, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Pool Party (Paperback)

Gary Soto expresses the issue of fitting in and family life while using Rudy to guide us in a humorous way. This book is a great choice for young readers because they are able to relate with Rudy's dilema of fitting in and being liked by a new group of friends. One major concern was when Rudy finally goes to the pool party with his inner tube. One can't help but think of poor Rudy returning home early from the party crying and feeling dreadfull. The family unity is prevelant through out this book and it is expressed with how everyone is trying to give Rudy advice on how to act, talk and greet people while he's at the party. Over all this book is a great book that I had the pleasure of reading. I would recommend it to any student regardless of their ethnic background.