The Skyscraper that Flew and Other Stories

Book excerpt: ñArroyo Grande is an ordinary town where unusual things sometimes happen,î Choo Choo Torres tells his friends. Indeed, this little West Texas town proves to be a place where unusual things often happen. From an enormous crystal skyscraper that mysteriously appears in the middle of the Arroyo Grande SluggersÍ baseball fieldƒa midnight media shower that inspires a pachanga, complete with music and concessions in an abandoned parking lotƒa sudden shift in the whole townÍs circadian rhythms, keeping everyone up at night and asleep during the dayƒa repair shop in town that boasts ñWe Fix Anythingî in the window and even extends the offer to broken heartsƒthis collection of short stories brims with offbeat events. In this, the sequel to The Fabulous Sinkhole and Other Stories, JesÏs Salvador TreviÐo once again populates his hamlet with a lively community. ThereÍs Chicas Patas, a zoot-suited newcomer who speaks a 1940s-era slang; Yoli Mendez, a spunky teen who steals the show by performing quadratic equations in her head; Ed Carillo and Mayor Al Snyder, local politicians who seize every opportunity to campaign; and, a bevy of other interesting and unique citizens of Arroyo Grande.