The reviews on the inside cover of this book describe Arturo, the protagonist, as `a Latino Holden Caulfield'. Well, no.

After reading a few Hispanic American novels, I am beginning to see some similarities. They have all been family based, family oriented. They each include a glossary to help readers with the Spanish words and phrases sprinkled throughout the text. They are life affirming and tell an uplifting tale.

Any Small Goodness runs along the same lines. The title comes from what Arturo's father tells him: "In life there is bueno and there is malo. If you do not find enough of the good, you must yourself create it ... Remember this thing - any small goodness is of value."

To this end, Arturo and his friends form the Green Needle gang. In the Los Angeles barrio that is their home, they must deal with real street gangs. But the Green Needle gang sneaks up to people's houses and leave Christmas trees and gifts on the porch. This is only one of the ways they concoct to make their lives and neighborhood better.

Arturo and his friends resist their teacher's efforts to Americanize their names (Arturo, Jaime, Alicia, Raul become Arthur, James, Alice, and Ralph, but only briefly). They are proud of their Hispanic heritage and look to Arturo's grandmother as a touchstone to the traditional ways. She cooks Mexican food, uses old time utensils, and speaks Spanish. Arturo is both proud of his grandmother and embarrassed by her - in the fashion of all teens. But they are Americans, after all, and participate in all that is American. Some of the characters that walk on are an ex-NBA player who volunteers to coach at their school, a media specialist with a flair for choosing the perfect book, and a do-gooder piano teacher who keeps candy atop the piano to stave off sinking spells.

While this is a worthwhile and enjoyable book, each chapter is a little story unto itself. There is not as much continuity of story as in an ordinary book. Some of the story does spill over into the culminating formation of the Green Needle gang at the end, thus bringing the message home.

The reviews on the inside cover of this book describe Arturo, the protagonist, as `a Latino Holden Caulfield'. Well, no.

After reading a few Hispanic American novels, I am beginning to see some similarities. They have all been family based, family oriented. They each include a glossary to help readers with the Spanish words and phrases sprinkled throughout the text. They are life affirming and tell an uplifting tale.

Any Small Goodness runs along the same lines. The title comes from what Arturo's father tells him: "In life there is bueno and there is malo. If you do not find enough of the good, you must yourself create it ... Remember this thing - any small goodness is of value."

To this end, Arturo and his friends form the Green Needle gang. In the Los Angeles barrio that is their home, they must deal with real street gangs. But the Green Needle gang sneaks up to people's houses and leave Christmas trees and gifts on the porch. This is only one of the ways they concoct to make their lives and neighborhood better.

Arturo and his friends resist their teacher's efforts to Americanize their names (Arturo, Jaime, Alicia, Raul become Arthur, James, Alice, and Ralph, but only briefly). They are proud of their Hispanic heritage and look to Arturo's grandmother as a touchstone to the traditional ways. She cooks Mexican food, uses old time utensils, and speaks Spanish. Arturo is both proud of his grandmother and embarrassed by her - in the fashion of all teens. But they are Americans, after all, and participate in all that is American. Some of the characters that walk on are an ex-NBA player who volunteers to coach at their school, a media specialist with a flair for choosing the perfect book, and a do-gooder piano teacher who keeps candy atop the piano to stave off sinking spells.

While this is a worthwhile and enjoyable book, each chapter is a little story unto itself. There is not as much continuity of story as in an ordinary book. Some of the story does spill over into the culminating formation of the Green Needle gang at the end, thus bringing the message home.