From one of America's most beloved writers comes this compelling memoir of his adolescent search for meaning and identity.
When Victor Villaseñor turned sixteen, his father's gift of a brand-new, turquoise pick-up truck was accompanied by another gift: words of wisdom that would guide him on his path to manhood. "You are a man now, he said, and to be an hombre, a man must not only know right from wrong, he must also know who he is and who he isn't." In the weeks to come, however, Victor disregards his father's advice. Swayed by his friends ridicule, he has his new truck painted white to cover the vibrant turquoise, once his favorite color. Soon, he realizes his mistake. "I'd done exactly what my dad had told me not to. I'd listened to other people's opinions instead of listening to what I'd felt inside."
So begins this poignant and moving account of Villaseñor's coming of age. Growing up on his parents ranch in North San Diego County, Victor Villaseñor's teenage years were marked by a painful quest to find a place for himself in a world he didn't fit into. During his search, Victor wrangles with the usual questions of adolescence: Is it normal to think about sex all the time? Do good girls like sex? Is sex before marriage a sin?
But Victor struggles with more than just his burgeoning sexual awareness. The son of a self-made, successful man, he is different from his peers because of his Mexican heritage, and he experiences both subtle and outright discrimination because of this. Raised in a tight-knit, Catholic family, he questions the tenets of his faith and the restrictions it places on his own developing spirituality and sexuality.
After high school, Victor's quest for who he is and who he isn't takes him to Mexico, where he is shocked to learn that Mexicans aside from his father are successful. They are architects, professors, and artists. Most importantly, he meets an older woman who cultivates in him a deeper understanding of his own intellectual capacity and helps him see the world and his place in it in a whole new way. This experience allows him to appreciate his own potential and realize his dreams of making a difference in the world through writing.
A powerful portrait of a young boy on the path to manhood in the shadow of his influential father, Crazy Loco Love adds a new chapter to the grand tradition of coming-of-age books. Destined to become a classic, this new installment in Villaseñor's body of work confirms his place as a leading American writer. Crazy Loco Love will enthrall his many fans and surely win him new ones....

From one of America's most beloved authors comes a raw and unnerving memoir that explores the transformation of an angry young man into the bestselling author we know today.

When Victor Villase#241;or stood at the podium and looked at the group of teachers amassed before him, he became enraged. He had never spoken in public before. His mind was flooded with childhood memories filled with humiliation, misunderstanding, and abuse at the hands of his teachers. With his heart pounding, he began to speak of these incidents. To his disbelief, the teachers before him responded to his embittered recollection with a standing ovation. Many could not contain their own tears.

So begins a touching memoir of an extremely angry adolescent. Highly gifted and imaginative, Villase#241;or coped with an untreated learning disability (he was finally diagnosed with extreme dyslexia at the age of forty-four) and the frustration he felt growing up Latino in an English-only American school system that had neither the cultural understanding nor the resources to deal with Hispanic students.

Often beaten by his teachers because he could not speak English, Villase#241;or was made to feel ashamed about his heritage, and even questioned the core values prioritized by his tight-knit family. Villase#241;or's dyslexia, and growing frustration over not fitting in, fueled his dream to one day become a writer. He is now considered one of the premier writers of our time.

With his signature passion, his gift as a storyteller, and his own incredible story, Villase#241;or allows readers into the soul of a young life touched by insecurity yet encouraged by a personal sense of artistic destiny. Burro Genius, a complex and inspiring coming-of-age story, is certain to become an American classic....

It's the Spring of Creation, and all of the animals are busy doing what they do best. There was no confusion. But suddenly, a strange, furless, shell-less creature appears in their midst and the animals are mystified by the strange being. The bear knew that this creature would not be as strong, the deer knew it would not be as fast, and even the grasshopper knew it was not going to hop and screech like him.

What follows is a raucous debate about what to do with the helpless being. Eat the creature? Defend the creature? Leave it to fend for itself in the forest? The fate of humanity rests in the paws and wings of the animal community.

Acclaimed author Victor Villaseñor returns, once again, to capture a traditional children's tale for a new generation. In fresh, colloquial prose Villaseñor's second children's book echoes the oral tradition, as he recalls a story that his mother told him as a child. Brought to life by bold illustrations, this playful fable celebrates the relationship between humans and the animals in the natural world....

The home of Mother Fox and her three babies is hidden by the roots of a tree stump in a long valley. In the beautiful fields around their home, Mother Fox cares for her children, who are so tiny they fit in the palm of a human hand. She brings them treats to eat, and she leads them to sit on the rocks in the sun.

But Mother Fox must always be wary because an old coyote shares their valley with them. Though he is lonely, the mean coyote searches for food rather than a friend. "After all, this is the way the world works."

One day, Mother Fox takes her babies to the pond to search for food. There, while jumping and frolicking with the bullfrogs in the night, Mother Fox rolls on the ground shaking with laughter. In fact, she laughs so hard that she forgets about the hungry coyote. Soon, she finds herself snout to snout with her biggest fear. Knowing that they cannot run or hide from the coyote, Mother Fox uses her cunning mind to escape. With a little help from the moon and a trick of light, she saves her babies....