Rawly Sanchez’s life sucks. It’s another Friday night, and he’s struggling with his algebra homework in his mom’s Mexican restaurant, which is also on the brink of failure. Ever since his dad died, his mother has had to work twice as hard. And starting next Saturday, algebra tutoring classes will mean he won’t get to see his brother Jaime, who’s in prison.
His whole life takes a turn for the better when he rescues a young woman, who happens to be a famous model, from a flooded creek. The dramatic rescue is caught on tape by a local news crew and soon Rawly is being hailed as a hero. Suddenly, every reporter in town wants to interview him. His mom is sure all the publicity will be good for the restaurant . . . and maybe the girl’s family will offer a financial reward!
Rawly doesn’t want to demand money for saving someone’s life, but he has to admit it is nice that kids who avoided him in the past now want to hang out with him. It’s impossible to resist the popular quarterback’s invitation to “have a good time,” even if it means ditching his best friend. And best of all, Miyoko, the most beautiful girl in school, wants to go out with him. But, do they really like him? Or do they just want to take advantage of his new-found fame?
Acclaimed author and educator Ray Villareal once again writes a fast-paced novel for teens that will raise questions about the value of celebrity and true friendship. Spotlighting teens’ interest in comic books and super heroes, even the most reluctant readers will be sucked in.
“After saving the life of a famous model, a 14-year-old Mexican-American boy learns the pressures of popularity and the definition of true heroism. The third-person narration follows Rawley s journey as he learns who his real friends are and the difference between comic-book and real-world heroes. A good story with some unexpected twists.”—Kirkus Review
“This is a welcome addition for libraries short on books about Latino males.”—School Library Journal
“A story of coping with the pressures of sudden fame and finding one’s own peace, Don’t Call Me Hero is a fine and much recommended read.”—The Midwest Book Review
RAY VILLAREAL is the author of five novels for young adults that capture the angst of adolescent life: Body Slammed! (Piñata Books, 2012), Don’t Call Me Hero (Piñata Books, 2011), Who’s Buried in the Garden? (Piñata Books, 2009), winner of LAUSD’s Westchester Fiction Award, Alamo Wars (Piñata Books, 2008), and My Father, the Angel of Death (Piñata Books, 2006), which was nominated to the 2008-2009 Lone Star Reading List and named to The New York Public Library’s 2007 Books for the Teen Age. His latest novel, On the Other Side of the Bridge, was published by Piñata Books in October 2014. Villareal worked for 30 years as a teacher and an instructional reading coach with the Dallas Independent School District, and his knowledge of kids is obvious in his characters’ dialogue and the problems they deal with. As Kirkus Reviews said in its review of Who’s Buried in the Garden?: “a solid glimpse at seventh-grade life from a writer who understands the age—biography reports, friendships made and lost, crushes, misbehavior and, sometimes, quiet heroism.” He graduated in 1981 from Southern Methodist University with a Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education with an emphasis in Bilingual Education. In 1991, he completed his Master of Liberal Arts from the same university. He lives with his family in Dallas, Texas.
ATOS Interest Level: Middle Grades+
Category: Young Adult
ATOS English: 4.6
LEXILE: 670L
Accelerated Reader Quiz #: 49182
