"Rice's work also deserves praise for presenting a slice of Mexican-American life that is neither over-romanticized, operating as a veiled and vitriolic social commentary, or tainted with easy nostalgia." The Austin Chronicle
"Nine slice of life stories, told from multiple points of view and in different voices, resonate with the sounds and sights of a Mexican-American childhood spent in South Texas."-VOYA
"Rice...blends humor and precise detail, creating believable imperfect, complex characters that are once rowdy, subversive, and devoted to family and tradition."-Booklist
"A powerful collection that should enjoy a wide audience." School Library Journal
2001 PEN USA Children's Literature Award Finalist