Few writers capture the everyday moments of life like Gary Soto. In direct and vivid poems, he draws from his own youth in California's Central Valley to portray the joys and sorrows of young people. His writing focuses on Latino characters, yet speaks to readers of all ethnicities. Acclaimed by educators and unavailable since 1998, "A Fire in My Hands" has been revised and expanded in this new edition. Old and new fans of Soto's work will welcome the return of his compelling poems. AGES: 12 up AUTHOR: Gary Soto's first book for young readers, "Baseball in April and Other Stories", won the California Library Association's Beatty Award and was named an ALA Best Book for Young Adults. He has since published many novels, short stories, plays, and poetry collections for adults and young people. Visit his website at www.garysoto.com. REVIEWS: "These simple, free-verse selections skilfully capture that which is commonplace and transforms it into something mesmerizing and lovely. . . . will delight creative-writing teachers who are looking for a book that demonstrates the genesis of a poem as well as the compelling universality of the human experience."