Pig Park

By Claudia Guadalupe Martínez
Paperback: $9.95

Masi’s barrio is wasting away. An entrepreneur comes to the rescue. But why? And his son has nice soft lips.

Description

It’s crazy! Fifteen-year-old Masi Burciaga’s neighborhood is becoming more and more of a ghost town since the lard company moved away. Her school closed down. Her family’s bakery and the other surviving businesses may soon follow. As a last resort, the neighborhood grown-ups enlist all the remaining able-bodied boys and girls to haul bricks to help build a giant pyramid in the park in hopes of luring visitors. Maybe their neighbors will come back too. But something’s not right about the entrepreneur behind it all. Then there’s the new boy who came to help, the one with the softest of lips.

About the Creators

Claudia Guadalupe Martínez

Claudia Guadalupe Martínez has called Mexico and the US home. Her core childhood memories are set in El Paso, Texas. This dynamic of growing up between borders inspires her writing. She is the recipient of two Texas Institute of Letters Best Young Adult Book Awards, a Paterson Prize for Books for Young People, an Américas Award Commendation, a Junior Library Guild Award, and multiple starred reviews. She now lives with her family in Illinois. You can find her at claudiaguadalupemartinez.com.

Reviews

  • * "The story of a community working together is uplifting . . . Martinez uses nicely specific physical details to relate Masi's experiences, and the moments in the bakery seem particularly authentic and are suffused with love."

    - Kirkus Reviews
  • * "Martinez uses diversity to her advantage, showcasing Masi, her family, and all of the people living in this town. . . Overall, this is a quick read that touches on family issues, young love, and the strength that comes when times get tough."

    - Voice of Youth Advocates (VOYA)
  • "Martinez creates an emotional dilemma for Masi, caught between a romantic crush and her family's struggles, yet. . . suggests a fairy-tale undercurrent within the novel."

    - Publishers Weekly
  • "Pig Park is a contemporary Faustian tale that forces us to look at the desperate lengths people will go to in the name of community -- and maybe love. . . . Deftly crafted characters and an inherently fascinating and imaginative tale, Pig Park is enthusiastically recommended for personal reading lists and would make a popular addition to community library collections."

    - Midwest Book Review
  • "A fast-moving page-turner, Pig Park is an excellent example of how young people, through creative action, really can bring about personal and political change. It's highly recommended."

    - De Colores: The Raza Experience in Books for Children
  • "Filled with a first crush, an absent parent, fear of losing home and friends, and community engagement . . . readers will appreciate its strong characters and identify with the protagonist's teen angst."

    - School Library Journal
  • "Between those yummy covers is an equally delicious book. . . The novel tackles that age-old question of how far, how much, what exactly would you do for something that matters to you?"

    - All Brown All Around

Hardcover

  • ISBN 9781935955764
  • Publication Date Sep 30, 2014
  • Trim Size 7 × 5 in
  • Weight 0.75 lbs
  • Page Count 248
  • Paperback

  • ISBN 9781935955771
  • Publication Date Sep 30, 2014
  • Trim Size 7 × 5 in
  • Weight 0.5625 lbs
  • Page Count 248
  • Interests

  • Audience Children
  • BISAC Category 1 JUV / Social Themes / General
  • BISAC Category 2 JUV / Love & Romance
  • BISAC Category 3 JUV / People & Places / United States / Hispanic & Latino
  • Themes Conflict resolution, Families, Fiction, Latinx / Latino / Hispanic, Neighbors, Overcoming Obstacles, Realistic Fiction, Teen Interest, YA interest
  • Reading Levels

  • Age Range Ages 14 - 18
  • Grade Range Grades 9 - 12
  • Guided Reading V
  • ATOS Book Level 6
  • DRA 50
  • Interest Level Grades 6 - 9
  • Lexile Code HL
  • Lexile Level 570
  • Bebop Reading Fluent
  • This Book is Included in These Collections:

    • 202
      Fluent English
      Collection of 202 books: $2,450.80