Nichols, J

SLIS 5960

May 18, 2002

Young Adult Book:

Trino’s Choice

Written by Diane Gonzales Bertrand

Texas Library Association’s 2001-2002 Lone Star Reading List

About the Book:

Seventh-grade Trino Olivares is a boy headed in the wrong direction. He likes video games, not books and dislikes the brainy kids who do well in school. Trino’s mom works two jobs and Trino has three little brothers to look after. Life doesn’t seem to offer much for Trino. When Rosca, leader of a local gang, invites Trino to hang with his crowd, Trino has some big decisions to make. Looking for a quick hideout one day, Trino heads into a bookstore. Over time, the people he meets there provide Trino with an opportunity to change the direction of his life.

About the Author:

Native San Antonian Diane Gonzales Bertrand is one of a family of seven children. Growing up, she and her family made weekly trips to the city library and Ms. Bertrand began her first novel in 5^th grade. She is now the author of several novels for children and young adults. She has also written a number of bilingual picture books. Ms. Bertrand lives in San Antonio with her husband and two children. She teaches creative writing at St. Mary’s University, where she is Writer in Residence.

Before Reading Activities:

Discussion Questions:

1. Have students make a list of choices they must make every day.

2. Have them rank order their choices from easy to difficult.

3. Discuss why some choices are more difficult than others.

After Reading Activities:

Writing Activities:

1. The end of this book leaves many issues unresolved. Working in groups, have students brainstorm the choices Trino may make in the future. Will he be able to make meaningful changes in his life?

2. Read the first chapter of Trino’s Time, the sequel to Trino’s Choice.

3. Compare the students’ ideas to what the author has chosen.

Additional Reading:

Bunting, Eve. Riding the tiger. New York: Clarion Books, 2001.

• Ten-year-old Danny is bored and lonely when he hops on the back of the exciting and somewhat scary tiger that offers him a ride, but he soon discovers that it's easier to get on the tiger than it is to get off.

Draper, Sharon M. Romiette and Julio. New York: Atheneum Books, 1996.

• Romiette, an African-American girl, and Julio, a Hispanic boy, discover that they attend the same high school after falling in love on the Internet, but are harassed by a gang whose members object to their interracial dating.

Myers, Walter Dean. Scorpions. New York: Harper Collins, 1988.

• After reluctantly taking on the leadership of the Harlem gang, the Scorpions, Jamal finds that his enemies treat him with respect when he acquires a gun--until a tragedy occurs.