LOCAL NEWS
by Gary Soto
The author of Baseball in April (1990) offers 13 more domestic reversals of fortune. Javier snaps a picture of Angel in the shower and threatens ``Blackmail''; Alex's ``First Job'' turns into disaster when he accidentally sets a neighbor's fence afire; Robert almost botches his one line in ``The School Play'' (about the Donner party); Jose challenges new classmate Estela to a game of racquetball—which he's never played—and is wiped out; flying is not the peak experience Araceli expects when she signs up for a ``Nickel-a-Pound Plane Ride,'' etc. As always, Soto shows that the concerns and triumphs of Latino children are no different from anyone's, and though he respects his characters, their misadventures are treated with a light touch—vignettes rather than life-changing incidents. Also as usual, the narrative is sprinkled with Spanish words and idioms, defined at the back- -excellent flavoring but, for many, extra work. (Short Stories. 10-13)