Off And Running By Gary Soto Illustrated By Eric Velasquez

1.  Bibliography
Soto, Gary.  1996.  OFF AND RUNNING.  Ill. by eric Velasquez.  New York:  bantam Doubleday Dell Publishing Group, Inc.  ISBN 0385321813

2.  Plot Summary
The fifth grade is having an election for class president.  Miata and her best friend Ana decide to run for office.   There goal is to clean up the school.  They want to paint over the graffiti, plant flowers, and have new computers for the students to use.  She has strong beliefs that they can win and wants to help the school.
Rudy and Alex decide that they will run against the girls for president.  Their goals are to have longer recess and eat ice cream everyday of the week, instead of just Monday.  They are funny and outgoing and the other students love their ideas and jokes.  But Miata  believes that Rudy''s goals cannot be accomplished and her could really help the school.  Who will win this race for president?

3.  Critical Analysis
The plot in the story is boy verses girl who will win the race for president of the fifth grade class.  The setting takes place in a typical suburban town in a Mexican American community.  The apparent culture markers in the text are the names of the characters, the way the authors adds the language into the text, and the food.  The author does a wonderful job sharing the Mexican American world with the reader.  The characters are smart and funny.  The reader laughs at Rudy's jokes and wants to be Miata's friend.  This  book is a strong book filled with cultural markers.  Readers of all ages can enjoy this book.
The illustrations in the book are done in black and white.  The reader can identify the characters as Mexican American due to their facial features and hair color.  The clothing and general environment of the story is the same has any American family.  The pictures give the reader a brief glimpse of the characters in the story and their emotions at certain intervals in the story.  I feel that the pictures were not necessary in the book.  The reader could already tell what the characters looked like and their natural environment from the writing of the author.  The pictures were good ,but not needed.

4.  Review Excerpts
SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL review:  "A humorous, light, good-natured story about everyday life in one community that will have great appeal for kids everywhere.?"
BOOKLIST says:  "The main focus is on Miata, but Rudy often steals the show with his gross clowning. There isn't a mean character around, but the teasing humor subverts any danger of the reverential (he's not chewing gum in church, Rudy explains, it's just in his mouth).

5.  Connections
This book is a good read for students learning about growing up Mexican American.
Other books about strong willed boys and girls:
Lupica, Mike.  LONG-SHOT:  A COMEBACK KIDS NOVEL.  ISBN 9780399247170
Resau, Laura.  STAR IN THE FOREST.  ISBN 9780385737920