As a boy, Gary Soto dreamed of escaping the barrios and dusty fields of Fresno, California. His determination to read and learn and a gift for describing the world around him made Soto an award-winning American writer. This book in the Notable Hispanic Americans series follows the poet from a childhood raised in "a home without books." Soto suffered years of hardship but nonetheless turned himself into a top student, a groundbreaking Chicano poet, and a writer and educator who pivoted from his success with poetry to become a bestselling storyteller for young people.