Abuelita’s prickly but full of goodness. As far from gangbangers as Papi is. I wish I could be like her, getting people’s names back for them—or something important like that. So far I’m just hanging out. Being like some weird L.A. weather report: prickly—with a chance of flowers.

About the Author

Tony Johnston (1942– ) grew up in California and spent fifteen years living in Mexico. She likes books that “come from the heart.” When she was in sixth grade, her teacher had students keep journals of words they came across and loved or hated. “Ever since, I’ve been keeping lists of the wonderful words I bump into. Whenever I can, I toss them out like flowers, hoping that others will catch them and love them and hold onto them—and use them.”

Before You Move On

  • 1. Confirm Prediction Was your prediction correct? How did family and culture affect Arturo’s decision?

  • 2. Character and Plot How did Arturo change from the beginning to the end of the story? What events caused the change?