Who's Buried in the Garden?

by Ray Villareal

Overview

Seventh-grader Joshua knows his best friend Artie Mendoza is a liar. They have been friends since kindergarten, and Artie has told far-fetched stories for years. So when Artie tells Josh that there’s a body buried in Mrs. Foley’s garden, Josh doesn’t believe him at first. But when Josh walks by the Foleys’ house, he sees the mound of earth, about seven feet long and covered with flowers, and has to admit it does look like a grave.

Artie insists that Mrs. Foley killed her husband and buried him in the back yard. The Foleys used to fight so loudly that kids walking in the alley behind their house could hear the arguments. Lately, there hasn’t been any sign of Mr. Foley. Still, Josh has his doubts. But Wolf Man, Artie’s other best friend, naively believes everything his friend tells him and encourages Artie’s plan to dig up the body. Josh doesn’t care much for Wolf Man, and if he’s honest with himself, he knows he’s jealous of the friendship between Wolf Man and Artie. Unlike Josh, they watch wrestling on TV, don’t care much about school, and on top of that, speak Spanish fluently, which makes Josh feel left out.

While Josh struggles to avoid getting caught up in Artie’s scheme to get famous by digging up the supposed body in Mrs. Foley’s backyard he also tries to cultivate his budding friendship with Lorena, the prettiest girl in the seventh grade, who challenges Josh to see both Artie and Wolf Man in a different light. With other problems sprouting up all around him, Josh can’t help but wonder if there’s really a shovel-wielding criminal living in the neighborhood. Instead of digging up the garden, or grave, shouldn’t they call the police? Young adult author and educator Ray Villareal has written another fast-paced, exciting novel for middle-school students that explores the impact of making poor decisions and the importance of choosing the right friends.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781611927931
Publisher:	Arte Publico Press
Publication date:	05/31/2009
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
File size:	183 KB
Age Range:	9 - 14 Years

About the Author

RAY VILLAREAL is the author of five novels for young adults that capture the angst of adolescent life: Body Slammed! (Piñata Books, 2012), Don’t Call Me Hero (Piñata Books, 2011), Who’s Buried in the Garden? (Piñata Books, 2009), winner of LAUSD’s Westchester Fiction Award, Alamo Wars (Piñata Books, 2008), and My Father, the Angel of Death (Piñata Books, 2006), which was nominated to the 2008-2009 Lone Star Reading List and named to The New York Public Library’s 2007 Books for the Teen Age. His forthcoming novel, On the Other Side of the Bridge, will be published by Piñata Books in 2014. Villareal worked for 30 years as a teacher and an instructional reading coach with the Dallas Independent School District, and his knowledge of kids is obvious in his characters’ dialogue and the problems they deal with. He lives with his family in Dallas, Texas.

Editorial Reviews

Gr 5-7–Seventh-grader Joshua Ramírez has been friends with Artie Mendoza since kindergarten and knows that he is always telling lies. When Artie starts insisting that Mrs. Foley killed her husband, Joshua is hesitant to believe him. One day, however, they overhear a conversation between the woman and one of her friends about poison, Mr. Foley, and someone being dead, dead, and gone. Could she have killed her husband or is Artie just a big, fat liar? Although the book is moderately paced and the characters seem a little one-dimensional at first, this is still an intriguing tale that will capture readers’ imaginations. They will also like the lighthearted humor and wrestling antics that have been integrated into the story. The sprinkling of Spanish words reflects Joshua’s Hispanic neighborhood in Texas.–Kira Moody, Hunter Public Library, West Valley City, UT

School Library Journal

Seventh grader Joshua Ramirez knows he shouldn't believe Artie Mendoza's story: Mrs. Foley surely didn't murder her husband and bury him in her flower garden. Still, there is that mound of dirt that looks like a grave. And what heroes they and their buddy Wolf Man would be to uncover such a scandal. What risks could there be in digging up the garden to find out? It's a thin premise for a novel, but it turns out that the mystery of who's buried in the garden is just a device to pull readers into a story that's really about friendship and making the right choices in life. Joshua learns who his real friends are and ultimately tells Artie, "¡Largate de aqu', burro!" ("Get lost, jackass"). Though the story turns didactic to drive home the message, it's a solid glimpse at seventh-grade life from a writer who understands the age-biography reports, friendships made and lost, crushes, misbehavior and, sometimes, quiet heroism. This story of three Latino boys with Stephen King-ish imaginations ought to find a wide audience. (Fiction. 8-12)

Kirkus Reviews