Rudy’s Memory Walk (Roosevelt High School Series)

$9.95

This engaging novel for young adults tackles the problem of elderly family members who begin to suffer the effects of Alzheimer’s.

by Gloria Velasquez

ISBN: 978-1-55885-593-9
Publication Date: 2009
Format: Trade Paperback
Pages: 160
Imprint: Piñata Books
Ages: 12-15

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Rudy can’t believe it when his dad says he will have to watch his abuela while his parents go out. He shouldn’t have to babysit his own grandmother! And he had plans to go out with his girlfriend, Juanita. His brother Manuel isn’t happy either, and won’t even consider watching Abuela alone.

Nothing has been going right since Abuela moved in. Manuel had to give up his own room and move into Rudy’s, and both boys are unhappy about losing their privacy. Abuela’s forgetfulness and weird behavior has everyone worried, and Rudy’s mom in particular spends lots of time crying.   When Abuela disappears one day, they can’t ignore the problem anymore. A trip to the doctor confirms what they feared: Abuela has Alzheimer’s. What are they going to do? They can’t lock her up, but they can’t be with her every minute of the day either.

As Rudy juggles everything going on in his senior year at Roosevelt High School, including his relationship with Juanita and his friends’ attempts to convince him to enroll in college, his feelings of guilt grow. He can’t help but wish he had his room to himself and that life would go back to the way it was before Abuela moved in.

Rudy’s Memory Walk is the eighth novel in Gloria Velasquez’s popular Roosevelt High School series, which features a multiracial group of teenaged students who must individually confront social and cultural issues (such as violence, sexuality, and prejudice) that young adults face.

“The author does a nice job of giving readers a window into the culture and providing some positive role models.”—Booklist on Maya’s Divided World

“Informative and believable enough to aid readers in similar situations and well-written enough to entertain and enlist the compassion of those who aren’t.”—Kirkus Reviews on Rina’s Family Secret

“… the characters and situations are true to life … This book would be an excellent choice for classroom discussions and for reading groups.”—VOYA on Teen Angel

GLORIA VELÁSQUEZ is an award-winning writer of poetry and fiction. She is the author of two poetry collections, I Used to Be a Superwoman (1997) and Xicana on the Run (2006), and the Roosevelt High School Series: Tommy Stands Tall (2013), Rudy’s Memory Walk (2009), Tyrone’s Betrayal (2006), Teen Angel (2003), Ankiza (2000), Rina’s Family Secret (1998), Maya’s Divided World (1995), Tommy Stands Alone (1995), and Juanita Fights the School Board (1994), all from Piñata Books. Velásquez is currently a professor in the Modern Languages and Literatures Department at California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, California.

Learn more at gloriavelasquez.com.

ATOS Interest Level: Middle/Upper Grades
Category: Young Adult