Orange Candy Slices: And Other Secret Tales

by Viola Canales

Book Overview

Early in Canales' collection, the young narrator gives her beloved grandmother the perfect Christmas present; she gives her the gift of the world. Through her descriptions, we see that world as she... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1558853324
• ISBN13: 9781558853324
• Release Date: November 2001
• Publisher: Pinata Books
• Length: 121 Pages
• Weight: 0.40 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.3" x 5.5" x 8.5"
• Age Range: 12 to 17 years
• Grade Range: Grades 7 to 12

Customer Reviews

Have Another Orange Candy Slice!

Orange Candy Slices and Other Secret Tales is a collection of short vinettes gathered from the innocent and selective viewpoint of a child. It is an exploration of events, folklore and idiosyncracies of the border town hispanic culture. One of the tales, for example, reveals the belief in a curandera with an egg who takes an "evil eye curse" away from a girl. Another explores the miraculous healings and miricles of the Vigin. Each story is interesting in its own right. Together, they make up a patchwork quilt of the culture. Viola Canales is an inspiration for others to keep their heritage by writing. I highly recommend this book for teenagers to adults.

Exploring and Celebrating a Different Way of Life

What a great book! It paints Hispanic life in the Rio Grande Valley from the viewpoint of a child. What would ordinarily appear strange to an outsider becomes natural and mystical through the narrator's eyes. This doubleness of vision makes the stories remarkable indeed. They led me into a culture very different from my own--one where everyday life is governed by different rhythms and different values. Family and community anchor all. And in the simple rituals of food and of death, joy and reaffirmation of life is found.

crackles with wit

These stories crackle with wit. Written cleanly, with no excess verbiage, this book grabbed me and led me to a place I'd like to know. The skill of the author impresses me, suggesting as it does an intelligent perspective on spirituality, America, individuality, and social alienation. The flavor of a Texas I have not seen stirred my curiosity, while references to the Virgin Mary resonated with my own sense of wonder. As a worthwhile distraction from life's little blisters, I have already recommended these stories to friends.

Orange Candy Slices and Other Secret Tales

A superb collection of short stories that capture the essence of the Hispanic culture. The author does an exceptional job in bringing these traditions to all your senses. One can taste the bread in The Panaderia, feel the prickly thorns in Nopalitos, see the vibrant colored houses in The Bubble Gum Pink House, smell the aroma of cafe de olla in The Carousel and hear the girl's dancing feet in The Polka Dot Dress. I can't wait for her next book!

Magical, Strange, Everyday Reality

I really enjoyed Orange Candy Slices. The stories all take place in what was an exotic location to me -- the Rio Grande Valley of Texas -- but they have that rare blend of acute detail that makes you feel you know a faraway place and universal appeal. For example, "The Tiny Bubble," about a girl finding out about puberty, combines the mysticism of a very different culture with details from the movies our elementary school showed us in fifth grade. Perhaps my favorite stories are "The Flamingoes," "The Magi," and "The Cafe" because of the way they show the relationship between the narrators and their grandparents. They remind us of how magical the everyday relationship between grandparents and grandchildren can be. If you've had that sort of bond, these stories will make you remember episodes of your own; if you haven't, they'll teach you something wonderful and new.