Scholastic Booktalk

ANY SMALL GOODNESS
by Tony Johnston
Published by The Blue Sky Press, an imprint of Scholastic

Turo's father says that there are good things and bad things in life. If you don't find enough of the good, you must create it. Visit Turo's LA and discover how.

My name is Arturo, 'Turo for short. I live in LA, in the barrio. LA is a place of movie stars and fast cars and people who are too rich and others who are too poor. LA is freeway chases and drive-bys and deaths. But there's another LA, where you can find warmth and humor and family and sharing and caring. Where a taqueria sign says, "One Cause, One People, One Taco." This is the LA where I live. Good things happen here and good people live here. We work together to make it a good place to live. My father says, "En su vida, hay cosas malas y buenas. There are good things and bad things in life. If you don't find enough of the good, you must create it."

Good things don't have to be big. The kind man who found our crazy cat for us, the music teacher who passed her songs on to so many people, the librarian who showed us the wonderful worlds we could find in books, and the basketball coach who saw a kid clearly enough to give him a second chance. Everyday people, doing everyday things, passing on to others the goodness they'd received.

Come to the barrio. Smell the chilies rellenos and the frijoles. Listen to the soft ripple of "pocho," the Spanish-English mix we speak, and see the warm smiles and sparkling eyes that welcome you to my LA, where love and laughter are more important than fighting and anger, and where any goodness, small or large, is welcome.

Booktalk by Joni R. Bodart

 

• Teacher Store
• 

  The Teacher Store
  	The Quilt Story by Tony Johnston and Tomie dePaola A beautiful quilt links two little girls across generations in this story about the comfort to be found in familiar surroundings. $46.50 You save: 25% Big Book Collection | Grades K-2

  
  The Quilt Story
  Grades K-2 $46.50
  
• Scholastic Store
• 

  The Scholastic Store

  10 Fat Turkeys by Tony Johnston "Looky!" says a silly turkey swinging from a vine. Gobble gobble wibble wobble. Whoops! Now there are nine." Girls and boys will gobble up this hilarious counting story about ten goofy turkeys roller-skating on a fence, doing a noodle dance, and more! Give thanks! This Thanksgiving favorite is now available as a board book with foil cover. $6.99 books;board books | Ages 3-5

  
  10 Fat Turkeys
  Ages 3-5 $6.99
  

ARTICLE	Smoke Free I have friends who always want to smoke before and after school. I'm the only one who doesn't want to smoke. I still want to be friends with them. What should I do?