Endorsed by Richard Blanco, the 2012 Inaugural Poet, Piñata is a collection of poetry focused on teens’ search for identity and their challenges in life, especially, but not exclusively, among Latinx youth. Some of the poems are poignant and serious; others are light and humorous.
Read another selection of Piñata, about the first day of school:
Héctor, a timid 10-year-old boy, meets a magician at the auto body shop where his mother works. This curious encounter suddenly gives Héctor electrical powers. How do these powers change Héctor? And do they change him for the better or for the worse?
Sylvia and Rosita meet at Hoover School in California, the school designated for Mexican children in the 1940s. Sylvia’s parents want to take her from Hoover and enroll her in a standard public school, but this school does not accept Mexican children. Sylvia’s family, along with four other Mexican-American families sue the State of California. The story is told by Rosita, whose family resisted making the change.