Great book for discussion on culture, Mexican culture, integration into society, importance of family values

The skirt is gone. Miata Ramirez is scared and upset. She brought her Folklorico skirt to show off at school and left it on the bus.

Miata has a beautiful skirt that her mother wore in Mexico on the bus. She was going to wear the skirt on Sunday when her dance group performed and is convinced it is going to be good luck. Miata and Ana make it their mission to save the skirt in time for her dance performance.

The Skirt, written by Gary Soto, is a realistic fiction book for children that takes place in the San Joaquin Valley. Miata is riding a bus and due to some boys' teasing, she forgets her beautiful and colorful skirt on the bus - the skirt that she snuck to school in the first place. The skirt was meant for her traditional dance called a Folklorica over the weekend. Miata is very worried about telling her mother about what happens so she decides to keep it a secret.Knowing that she need to get the skirt back, Miata and her friend Ana decide to break into the parking lot for the buses and get the skirt off the bus. While they are at the parking lot, Miata's father comes to fix one of the broken buses. Miata and Ana hide hoping to stay undetected. Finally seeing a chance to escape, they take it but are spotted by another worker yet are not recognized. Miata returns home with the skirt but her mother had bought her a new one. Miata decides to wear both during the Folklorico,

The illustrations were very nice. All were hand drawn and black and white. They accented the text very well allowing for a more vivid picture of the events. There are also Spanish words inserted throughout the book which makes this story more unique and fun. I really enjoyed this book!

A fast read that any student who has ever lost anything really important can relate to. Miata does folk dancing and her costume is a beautiful old skirt which her mother had used. She got off the school bus too quickly leaving it behind. What will her parents think? Quick consultation from friends is needed. What will they do to get the skirt back? ( )