Meet the Author

Unlike many authors, Gary Soto never thought about becoming a writer when he was a kid. Instead, he wanted to be a priest or a paleontologist — a scientist who studies fossils and bones. But when he was in college, he came across a book of poetry, liked it, and started writing his own poems. He's been a writer ever since!

Soto writes a lot about his Mexican American background. But not everything that happens in his books happened to him — he likes to mix up fact and fiction in his stories.

Soto lives with his wife and daughter in Berkeley, California.

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Gary Soto's favorite food is frijoles (beans). Here's a recipe for your family to try!

Frijoles

• 2 1/3 cups dried black beans
• 1 large onion
• 1 large green bell pepper
• 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
• 2 or 3 bay leaves
• 1 tsp. salt

1. Rinse beans. In a 4-quart heavy saucepan, cover beans with cold water and soak for one day.
2. Bring soaked beans to a boil in water, adding more water, if necessary, to cover beans by about 1 1/2 inches. Simmer beans, partly covered, over low heat for 1 hour, or until beans just start getting tender but are not falling apart.
3. Chop onion and bell pepper and stir into beans along with vinegar, bay leaves, and salt. Simmer beans, partly covered, for 2 to 3 hours, until they are very tender. Remove bay leaves. You can eat the beans hot, but they're even better if you let them cool and then refrigerate them for a day or so before eating.

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Photography Credit

Soto