The Skirt

THE SKIRT

by Gary Soto

Image credit: www.penguinrandomhouse.com

1. Bibliography

Soto, Gary. 1992. The Skirt. New York: Delacorte Press. ISBN 9780385306652

2. Plot Summary

Miata is riding home from school, but she leaves her folklorico skirt on the bus.  The skirt is special because it was her mother's and she plans to wear it at her performance this weekend.  Anxious and distraught, she gets home and hopes her best friend Ana will get the skirt off the bus. Ana does not get the skirt, but Miata devises a plan.  The following morning, Miata convinces Ana to go with her to sneak into the bus lot and look for the skirt.  They eventually get the skirt off of the bus, but then Miata's father shows up to repair one of the buses.  Miata and Ana must hide and finally make a run for it with the help of a boy from school, Rodolfo.  Miata goes through a lot of heartache to get the skirt back, but the morning of the performance, her mother gives her a brand new folklorico skirt.  Miata is excited about the new skirt, but decides to wear the old one underneath it during the performance to honor her mother.

3. Critical Analysis

This approachable realistic fiction novel is perfect for students that are just beginning to independently read chapter books.  The main character Miata is charming and spunky.  The plot is easy to follow and moves along quickly. Readers will identify with Miata who often loses things and doesn't want to tell her parents about the skirt for fear of getting in trouble.  There is just the right amount of suspense when Miata goes to retrieve her skirt from the bus and a clear resolution at the end when she performs her dance in the new skirt. 

Like other titles in Soto's repertoire, this story has some cultural elements, but the plot and characters are still relatable to many readers.  The main character's troubles could happen to any child.  This story depicts Latino life in California as the family has recently moved from Los Angeles to the San Joaquin Valley.  The cultural element in this story that stands out is the strong sense of family and their connection to the traditional dance folklorico.  It is obvious that Miata's parents are very proud that she will be performing folklorico.  Miata is proud of her culture as well, which the reader can see because she took her skirt to school to "show off" and continues the traditional style of dance her mother once performed.  Soto intertwines some Spanish words throughout the text to lend authenticity to the text, but the reader can easily use context clues to understand these words.  Throughout this novel, there is an undertone of Latino culture without feeling heavy handed.      

4. Review Excerpts and Awards

SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL (September 1992) "A fine read-aloud and discussion starter, this story blends cultural differences with human similarities to create both interest and understanding."

PUBLISHERS WEEKLY (August 1992) "Readers will be introduced to a few words, foods and customs that may be new to them, but will also relate to Miata's true-to-life, universal experiences and relationships."

Texas Bluebonnet Winner 1994

5. Connections

• To help students understand the cultural elements in this story, show a video clip of Ballet Folklorico on YouTube.com.  Even students with Hispanic heritage may be unfamiliar with this traditional style of dance and a video will make the story come to life.
• A reader's response question after reading The Skirt could be: Do you think Miata should have told her parents the truth or was what she did okay?
• Students that enjoyed The Skirt might also want to read other Gary Soto books that portray Latino life and culture such as, Baseball in April or Local News.