I read this book to my students right before summer recess. Majority of my class were ELL so they really enjoyed relating to the Spanish in this book. I really enjoyed listening to the adventures of the two main characters, Mando and Hector take a long bike trip across California. This book is exciting and enjoyable! ( )

Take two bored teen boys who see a bike race go past and in idea is born: bike from East L.A. to Santa Monica to spend some time at the beach. Family is scattered across the route providing nightly stopping points. (19.7 mi - I-10 W or 25 mins by car according to google maps).
Of course, they need to experience things along the way.
On their first short ride they stumble across the shooting of an advertisement with a spoiled child actress who refuses to cry. Hector says he could fall and cry for the add so gets the opportunity to shoot the ad and earn $100... (while I’ve heard of people doing “extra” spots, I didn’t find it likely the actress wouldn’t cooperate if she had a contract or that they would pull in somebody off the street for a real commercial, but it made a good story).
From the first stop with an uncle going bankrupt where they provide a backup rap to a record recording and win a luxury box at a ball game to the house of an aunt who is a physician, boys work their way through the miles. While the accommodations may have been better at the aunt’s house, the boys found it strange that cousin Bently was taking GT college prep courses during the summer and could speak Latin, but didn’t know Spanish. (Hector and Mando are Latino friends who use Spanish here and there throughout the story - a glossary at the back provides translations. Bently also didn’t not know how to ride a bike though he is similar in age to the boys who are 13. While Aunt Helena is not impressed with the cuts and bruises from the bike riding lesson, they boys are able to teach Bently a little about being a kid during the visit.
At The fourth stop was at at the cabin behind a mansion where Hector’s uncle is a chauffeur for a very bratty 10 yr. old who dreams of making the olympic team someday. Sarah challenges the boys to a variety of events and after losing the arm wrestling, archery, and ping-pong to Hector she proceeds to beat both boys in everything. With parents who don’t have time for her she runs the boys ragged during the days they visit Uncle Isaac. Hector learns that money doesn’t necessarily make a happy family.
Each day of the trip involves something unexpected and mostly it involves Hector, until the evening they got lost in a bad section of one city and were getting mugged. Suddenly Mando realizes one of the three thugs is his cousin! Now they have an unexpected stopover with his family (after the three thugs return the money stolen and apologize).
They finally make it to the beach with more surprises along the way then manage to make the 20 mile trip back home in one day where the story ends with a party involving all who were met along the trip.
altonalibrary | Aug 8, 2012
atms | Aug 28, 2012 ( )

Take two bored teen boys who see a bike race go past and in idea is born: bike from East L.A. to Santa Monica to spend some time at the beach. Family is scattered across the route providing nightly stopping points. (19.7 mi - I-10 W or 25 mins by car according to google maps).
Of course, they need to experience things along the way.
On their first short ride they stumble across the shooting of an advertisement with a spoiled child actress who refuses to cry. Hector says he could fall and cry for the add so gets the opportunity to shoot the ad and earn $100... (while I’ve heard of people doing “extra” spots, I didn’t find it likely the actress wouldn’t cooperate if she had a contract or that they would pull in somebody off the street for a real commercial, but it made a good story).
From the first stop with an uncle going bankrupt where they provide a backup rap to a record recording and win a luxury box at a ball game to the house of an aunt who is a physician, boys work their way through the miles. While the accommodations may have been better at the aunt’s house, the boys found it strange that cousin Bently was taking GT college prep courses during the summer and could speak Latin, but didn’t know Spanish. (Hector and Mando are Latino friends who use Spanish here and there throughout the story - a glossary at the back provides translations. Bently also didn’t not know how to ride a bike though he is similar in age to the boys who are 13. While Aunt Helena is not impressed with the cuts and bruises from the bike riding lesson, they boys are able to teach Bently a little about being a kid during the visit.
At The fourth stop was at at the cabin behind a mansion where Hector’s uncle is a chauffeur for a very bratty 10 yr. old who dreams of making the olympic team someday. Sarah challenges the boys to a variety of events and after losing the arm wrestling, archery, and ping-pong to Hector she proceeds to beat both boys in everything. With parents who don’t have time for her she runs the boys ragged during the days they visit Uncle Isaac. Hector learns that money doesn’t necessarily make a happy family.
Each day of the trip involves something unexpected and mostly it involves Hector, until the evening they got lost in a bad section of one city and were getting mugged. Suddenly Mando realizes one of the three thugs is his cousin! Now they have an unexpected stopover with his family (after the three thugs return the money stolen and apologize).
They finally make it to the beach with more surprises along the way then manage to make the 20 mile trip back home in one day where the story ends with a party involving all who were met along the trip. ( )
altonalibrary | Aug 8, 2012 ( )

Take two bored teen boys who see a bike race go past and in idea is born: bike from East L.A. to Santa Monica to spend some time at the beach. Family is scattered across the route providing nightly stopping points. (19.7 mi - I-10 W or 25 mins by car according to google maps).
Of course, they need to experience things along the way.
On their first short ride they stumble across the shooting of an advertisement with a spoiled child actress who refuses to cry. Hector says he could fall and cry for the add so gets the opportunity to shoot the ad and earn $100... (while I’ve heard of people doing “extra” spots, I didn’t find it likely the actress wouldn’t cooperate if she had a contract or that they would pull in somebody off the street for a real commercial, but it made a good story).
From the first stop with an uncle going bankrupt where they provide a backup rap to a record recording and win a luxury box at a ball game to the house of an aunt who is a physician, boys work their way through the miles. While the accommodations may have been better at the aunt’s house, the boys found it strange that cousin Bently was taking GT college prep courses during the summer and could speak Latin, but didn’t know Spanish. (Hector and Mando are Latino friends who use Spanish here and there throughout the story - a glossary at the back provides translations. Bently also didn’t not know how to ride a bike though he is similar in age to the boys who are 13. While Aunt Helena is not impressed with the cuts and bruises from the bike riding lesson, they boys are able to teach Bently a little about being a kid during the visit.
At The fourth stop was at at the cabin behind a mansion where Hector’s uncle is a chauffeur for a very bratty 10 yr. old who dreams of making the olympic team someday. Sarah challenges the boys to a variety of events and after losing the arm wrestling, archery, and ping-pong to Hector she proceeds to beat both boys in everything. With parents who don’t have time for her she runs the boys ragged during the days they visit Uncle Isaac. Hector learns that money doesn’t necessarily make a happy family.
Each day of the trip involves something unexpected and mostly it involves Hector, until the evening they got lost in a bad section of one city and were getting mugged. Suddenly Mando realizes one of the three thugs is his cousin! Now they have an unexpected stopover with his family (after the three thugs return the money stolen and apologize).
They finally make it to the beach with more surprises along the way then manage to make the 20 mile trip back home in one day where the story ends with a party involving all who were met along the trip. ( )