Houghton Mifflin Invitations to Literature: Paperback Reader Grade 4 Radio Man

In a family of migrant farm workers, Diego's life is different than that of other children, as his parents, brothers and sisters travel all over the southwestern states picking crops. Known by his friends as "Radio Man", Diego is never without the radio, the voice of the announcer trumpeting the states they pass through, the weather and the news. Diego's radio his constant companion, it is a reminder of where they have been and where they are going, repeating the familiar names of towns along the way, from Texas to Arizona to California, even to Washington, where the apple season is ripe for the picking. In Texas, Diego becomes friends with David, but the boys know they may not meet again for a long time. While he sees cousins in other worker camps, Diego is disappointed when he fails to find David among the familiar faces. One day, when the radio announcer urges listeners to call in with messages, Diego has a brilliant idea: he calls the station and sends a message to David, "Are you there?" Happily, David is listening to the radio that day and answers his friend's call. Written in English and Spanish, the story accentuates the very different world of migrant farm workers, where friendships are often difficult to maintain as families move from place to place earning a living. But thanks to his radio, Diego is able to locate David again, thrilled that his message is heard by the very person for which it was intended. Although the bilingual format isn't as user-friendly in the English as the Spanish, the story is poignant and instructive, a rare peek behind the many faces of our society, revealing the everyday concerns of a young boy searching for his friend. Luan Gaines/2006.

This book is great. It is a nice story that also teaches children about migrant farm workers. I love reading it.

I really enjoyed this well-written story about migrant workers going from place to place to pick crops. Instead of being isolated, the young man in the story listens to the Spanish-speaking stations wherever he goes and the radio gives him a sense of connection to his friends. It reminds me of the power of the radio stations across Mexico, especially San Miguel de Allende, where a tourist lost all his money by dropping his wallet and within minutes someone found it and took it to the radio station. He cried when he got his money back--all of it.

Radio Man is a book that as a teacher, I can't wait to use in my classroom. So often, students do not understand what it is like to live the life of a migrant worker. Using Artur Dorros' story as a road map, one can bring to light and discuss with children many issues that afect the migrant workers. Why do they always move? Where do they live? What happens to their friends? Why do kids have to work? Questions such as this might arise as you read the book with your child. I feel it is a great book because it allows you to expose your children to a part of life that is not discussed very often but definitely afects the Latino population.

A touching story. Everytime I tell this story (I am a storyteller) when I visit schools, I get comments from the teachers and the students. A little fourth grader came up to me her eyes shinning with pride and a big smile and said: "I am one of them, I pick cucumbers and tomatoes in Ohio." Teachers, and even a principal, have come to me with tears in their eyes and said: "That was me, thank you for the story." It is a great book to share with students, to give a voice to the migrants who do so much for us, who pick the crops all over the United States so we can then enjoy them!