Finding Our Way

Whether they take place in a Georgia town or in Texas on the Mexican border, the short stories in FINDING OUR WAY will introduce readers to some very interesting people. Among them are Chuy, who is determined to get kicked out of school; Melly, who is determined to be the first girl to take the Dive; and Andy and Ruthie, who find that being a couple takes on different meaning on the night of their school prom. The last story involves a shocking and unfortunate tragedy that will bring everyone in the community closer together. These educational and bold stories take twisting turns, and they always seem to have a lesson. You should read this book because some of the lessons you will learn could be very useful later in your life. --- Reviewed by Ashley Hartlaub

Saldana's Finding Our Way is a collection of short stories that relate to young adults having to mature quickly and live life as it comes. Each character develops in their own unique way when dealing with daily dramas regarding love, death, pride and ethics. Through these short stories the reader can appreciate the importance of parents and family figures. In "Chuy's Beginnins" Chuy is a young boy who constantly gets in trouble at school to draw the attention he does not get at home. Being so used to always getting his way;he is strongly disturbed and becomes a different person when he creates a confrontation he cannot solve between his principal and teacher. Having to prove something to oneself by doing something dangerous is most common when young. The tricky part is how you manage the situation. "The Dive" is a great example of what many young adults go through in life. In this story Melly is a young girl who speaks her mind out loud and feels like she must prove her self to be a grown woman by jumping off a bridge. With the help of Mama Tochi and her cuentos, "stories that somehow served as life lessons", Melly finds her way through her troubles. most characters in the collection have positive outcomes; Saldana adds a twist to the collection in the story "Manny Calls". Manny is ayoung adult who is portrayed as a mysterious, isolated person who is away from home and loses his one and only confidant. The dath of his grandfather and the lack of attention and moral support from others keep him from wanting to face reality. After two years of calling his grandfather's old phone number it finally gets reassigned and Manny finds himself trying to figure out a new way to communicate with his dead grandfather. Saldana's collecion of short stories obtain a significant message within that allow young and mature readers to discover, reminisce and appreciate the imprtance of role models and moral support.

"Finding Our Way" exemplifies the true meaning of living as true Latino/Hispanics in America. The author, Rene Saldana sets the stage by talking about true stories that actually makes the reader feel at home especially in Chapter 4, "Los Twelve Days of Christmas." The true minority groups still remains with these "Latino students" who find themselves surrounded by the upper scale of minority teachers, who themselves segregate themselves from teaching these teenagers about "chances" in life. Instead, these two teachers decide that it is best "not to give these teenagers a chance" at the end."Inspiring" and "Worth Reading"....

Finding Our Way, a collection of short stories, written by Rene Saldana, Jr., presents a variety of themes and life lessons for adolescents who face many obstacles while growing up. For some teens the problems may entail misbehavior, low self esteem or lack of courage. For others it may be losing a loved one or a peer. Some may even have to confront fighting and gangs. All of these scenarios are addressed in Finding Our Way. The book begins with "The Good Samaritan," where Rey is forced to decide between what is the right thing to do, and what is the just thing to do. He is constantly doing favors for Mr. Sanchez and has yet to receive any compensation. Rey swears he will never do any more favors for the local politico because he never comes through with his promises of payback. However, when Rey discovers Mr. Sanchez in yet another predicament he finds himself in a mental dilemma. In the end he has to decide between being a good samaritan by helping Mr. Sanchez despite his harsh feelings toward him, or leaving him stranded. "Alternative" and "Un Faite" are impressive stories that set a worthy example for young readers. In "Alternative" Arturo is a student that was sent to an alternative school for repeated misbehavior. He blames Mr. Sifuentes for sending him to the alternative program, even though he was the one who overreacted and caused the scene in class. Even though Arturo seems to have unpleasant feelings for Mr. Sifuentes, towards the end it becomes clear that he actually likes and respects him. Arturo is obviously not an ideal student and even after the big scene he causes in class, Mr. Sifuentes still sent him the stories to finish, proving that he has not given up and is dedicated to being a good teacher. In "Un Faite" Kiko is a teenager who wants very badly to start over and reinvent himself at a new school. He has faced numerous problems and had been involved with his cousin in a gang. This is an excellent story of a teen deciding to change his life around before it is too late. The stories "Manny Calls" and "Finding Our Way" deal with the reality of losing people in our lives. Manny has lost his grandfather whom he loved and respected greatly. Throughout "Finding Our Way" several friends have to deal with losing their classmate Danny. Death can be a very harsh reality for young adults to accept. Those are several of the eleven short stories in Saldana's Finding Our Way, all of which teach valuable life lessons and serve as encouragement to the young readers. The book contains a wide variety of situations that young adults face on a daily basis. Finding Our Way serves a meaning full purpose that can set a great example for a young audience.

?She never got anything but cuentos from Mamá Tochi, stories that somehow served as life lessons,? says the narrator of ?The Dive,? one of the eleven short stories in Saldaña?s realistic and uncompromising collection Finding Our Way. Saldaña?s cuentos serve not only as life lessons for their intended adolescent audience, but are fresh and witty enough for the adult reader to enjoy. Although most of these stories focus on Mexican-American culture, the characters encounter universal themes, such as doing the right thing, growing up, discovering and liberating the self, and coping with death. In ?My Self Myself,? Missy, a teenage girl, struggles with the abundant attention her younger brother receives from her parents. Missy asks, ?Who?s worried about what path I take? What about my self-esteem?? As many of the characters in this collection, Missy feels invisible to the adult world, but she later discovers that there is more to life than just herself. Saldaña raises the bar for young adult fiction by never patronizing his young readers. For example, ?SylvieSylvieSylvie,? demands us to pay close attention to the various perspectives, as time and thoughts constantly twist and turn in unexpected directions. Saldaña?s natural use of the Tex-Mex Mestizaje language is particularly poignant, as the author refrains from italicizing Spanish words and omits any sort of glossary. Some readers may complain, ?Where?s the glossary? How am I supposed to know these words?? However, Saldaña wants his readers to recognize Mestizaje as a true American language. In ?Chuy?s Beginnings,? teacher Mr. Gutierrez surprises Chuy with his South Texas vernacular, code-switching with words like, ?pa?ca,? ?pa?lla,? and ?vato.? Likewise, in ?Alternative,? Arturo says his teacher ?tries to be cool with us, old as he is, using words like ?vato,? ?ese,? and ?trucha.?? The focus on language as a means to identify oneself, or reinvent oneself, is a recurrent theme; however, these cuentos are never too heavy-handed in their didactic purposes nor are they too predictable. Overall, Saldaña allows us to grow with the characters, helping us to find our way.