Oranges

Summary: This is autobiographical poem narrates the story of a 12 year old boy taking a girl on a first date. In typical Gary Soto style, the date is not what everyone would expect as Gary’s girl has higher expectations of their date than he can afford. This poem is filled with descriptive summary as well as the typical teenage coming of age struggles. This story is sure to capture the attention of students and teacher alike while sparking juicy and relevant conversation.

CLD Students: While the poem is short and the language is simple, the content and meaning are far-reaching. The descriptive language and symbolism, as well as the conflict and resolution lend themselves to rich conversations about poverty, dreams, resilience and resourcefulness. Presented in prose, this autobiographical poem can serve as a precursor for teaching and learning about narrative prose, as well as exploring the author’s use of descriptive language, figurative language, and symbolism.

Related Materials/Resources:

http://www.flippedoutteaching.com/lessons/eng1/unit2/Oranges.pdf

Outline and study guide

Gary Soto Author Information:

http://www.garysoto.com/bio.html

http://www.notablebiographies.com/news/Sh-Z/Soto-Gary.html

http://www.umich.edu/~ac213/student_projects08/latlit/soto.html

Available Formats and Languages: hardcover, paperback, kindle, also available in selected textbooks

Book: "New and Selected Poems" by Gray Soto

also available in selected textbooks

Age Range: 6-8th grade

ISBN-13: 978-0811807586