The author of picture books, adult and young adult novels, short stories, poems, essays, plays, and biographies, this prolific writer is known for his celebration of friends, family, home, the neighborhood, and ethnic traditions. He offers a clear-eyed vision of the joys and terrors of childhood and what it means to grow up poor in America. Soto’s own journey from poorly educated day laborer to award-winning author is both fascinating and inspirational. It is presented here in his quintessentially American life story, which introduces the reader to the extremely rich and varied body of work it has nourished.