Facts of Life: Stories

Facts of Life: Stories by Gary Soto

Bibliographic Information:

Soto, G. (2008). Facts of life: Stories. New York, NY: Graphia. ISBN 9780547577340

Summary:

Meet ten Hispanic youth all personally unique, especially in their stories. Each teen encounters troubling situations that make them question the boundaries of childhood. It is through these situations that they grow and come to know themselves. With which young adult will you connect and grow – Mickey, Ana, Rachael, or Ryan – to name a few?  

Critical Analysis:

Gary Soto has crafted ten unique stories with which young adults in today’s society can easily relate. Soto has managed in a matter of pages to create intimate stories that make the reader wanting more. All of his characters are immediately likeable and the plots are engaging.

One of the beauties of Soto’s collection is that reluctant readers may pick and choose the stories they would like to enjoy without feeling the daunting pressure to read the entire book; however, it is very likely that Soto’s writing style and characters will grab the reader and encourage him/her to read each and every one.

In his work, Soto takes troubling typical teen topics and makes them accessible to his audience through his voice and humor. Each time you read Soto’s short stories, you’ll find something new that you may have missed the first reading through. Since his stories contain both male and female protagonists, all readers will be drawn to Gary Soto’s work. Be sure to pick up this collection of short stories for you’re certain to meet a new friend or two along the way.

Creative Activity:

Facts of Life: Your Story

After reading Soto’s short story collection, Facts of Life reflect on a situation in which you have encountered a difficult situation or a troubling topic. Find a character in Gary Soto’s collection that could connect with your story. Craft your story with Soto’s writing style in mind. Share your story with others.

Faithful Friend

After you have written your story and identified a character from Gary Soto’s collection, write your new friend a letter explaining how you would have handled their situation in Facts of Life. Would you have done the same thing or taken the same course of action as Soto’s characters? Or would you have taken a different path? Why or why not? Be sure to explain this in your letter to your faithful friend. Remember just as you should not judge them for their actions or choices, Soto’s characters will not judge you.

Related Resources:

Collect and display other collections of short stories by Gary Soto, such as:

- Baseball in April by Gary Soto

Soto, G. (2000). Baseball in april. New York, NY: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. ISBN

         9780152025670

- Local News by Gary Soto

Soto, G. (2003). Local news. New York, NY: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. ISBN

          9780152046958

*After readers have felt success with Soto’s short stories, be sure to introduce your readers to his longer, lengthier novels.*

Visit Gary Soto’s Webpage – www.garysoto.com

“Gary Soto, the Art of Not Writing for Children, and the Public Shame Theater”

Bird, E. (2015). Gary soto, the art of not writing for children, and the public shame theater.

Retrieved from http://blogs.slj.com/afuse8production/2015/06/03/gary-soto-the-art-of

not-writing-for-children-and-the-public-shame-theater/#_

-                    Read this interesting article concerning Gary Soto and the big toymaker Mattel and how this experience changed him. Soto states that he is no longer willing to write for young adults. The author makes a great point… How might things be different had this happened now?

Published Review:

Kirkus Review states that the stories in Facts of Life are 

“distinct, clearly drawn and immediate.”

Kirkus Review. (2008). Facts of life: stories. Retrieved from

          https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/gary-soto/facts-of-life/

Be sure to pick up a copy of Facts of Life: Stories... there's certainly something here for every reader! 

~ Mandy :) 

*image borrowed from www.barnesandnoble.com