SEPTEMBER 2012 - AudioFile
With summer vacation on the horizon, middle schoolers Hector and Mando plan a bicycling trip around greater Los Angeles to visit various relatives. Adventures abound during their trip, and the boys return home with expanded horizons. Just as Soto is a master at portraying the ordinary in Hispanic family and neighborhood, Anthony Perez is masterful at voicing these two best friends. His narration is smooth and steady—moving from nerdy cousin to a paintball extravaganza and an unfamiliar barrio, always keeping the listener engaged. Perez’s boyish voice lends credibility to the give-and-take between the two characters. Further, he spices the conversation with natural-sounding Spanish words and phrases. A.R. © AudioFile 2012, Portland, Maine
School Library Journal
Gr 5-8-Hector and Mando, 13-year-old friends introduced in Crazy Weekend (Scholastic, 1994), return in this story that follows them as they bike from their homes in East Los Angeles to visit Hector's relatives throughout the city. Along the way, Hector earns $100 for appearing in a TV commercial and is rewarded for being the one-millionth attendee at a Dodgers' game. The boys teach bookish cousin Bently how to wrestle, ride a bike, and be more like them; make friends with a spoiled rich girl who challenges them to contests in every sport imaginable, including a paint-ball war; and nearly get mugged until Mando realizes that one of the thugs is his cousin. At their last stop, they get drafted into painting a library mural, which inspires them to paint a rendition of their adventure on Hector's garage. Although the paint-ball episode is a bit overlong, the plot is rollicking, with some dream-come-true aspects, touches of reality, and humor, emphasized by the boys' banter and enhanced by a sprinkling of Spanish words and phrases. Soto's descriptions make the journey vivid and, throughout the boys' scuffles and escapades, they maintain a deep respect for their elders, a love of family, and a healthy curiosity about life. A glossary of Spanish words and phrases is appended, although there is no pronunciation guide.-Susan Knorr, Milwaukee Public Library, WI
School Library Journal - Audio
Gr 5–8—Gary Soto's delightful road trip (Scholastic, 1995) takes place on bikes as Hector and Mando decide to visit Hector's relatives across California during summer break. Their adventures include starring in a commercial and being in a paintball battle. Upbeat high jinks ensue, like eating with both forks so the correct one is used at least half the time and the boys pretending to be statues at a wax museum. Listeners are along for the ride thanks to the rich settings Soto paints. Among the places Hector and Mando visit is a ramshackle studio that has mattresses against the wall where one uncle works as a recording engineer and a palatial mansion where another uncle works as a chauffeur. They learn lessons about the importance of family along the way. Some intense scenes are included when their bikes are almost stolen, but even that incident works out and they end up winners at a local bingo night. Anthony Perez does an excellent job with the narration, distinguishing the voices of numerous characters and perfectly pronouncing Hispanic terms and slang. The production quality is first rate in this exuberant tale of friendship and community.—C.A. Fehmel, St. Louis County Library, MO
