November 24, 2007 -- Saturday morning

At The Hair Place and More, a beauty salon on 22nd Street, near Mission Street.

Reading The Incredibles, while his mother gets her hair cut. His favorite books are the Goosebumps series, by RL Stine, though he's been reading books by another author lately in the suspense genre....can't remember the author's name.

If he were to write his own book it'd be an action/drama/suspense novel set in a forest with fog and dead trees. Here's the plot, minus the spoiler: The hero, Jack, and his friend Jacqueline, move into a house in the forest. They hear howling all night and the two go out to investigate and split up. When Jack hears Jaqueline's screams he runs and finds a beast over her. He picks up a stone and slams it into the beasts head. They think the beast is dead, but the next night they hear the howls again....

His mom's book--she'd write about her own mom, who was born in Santa Monica, moved back to Mexico during the depression, then came back and achieved her own American dream.

Pictured below is Debbie Santiago, owner of the salon, holding the books of her friend Malín Alegria, who grew up in this neighborhood. She has them displayed in the window and had a book release party for her, too! What a great friend!!! The books are Estrella's Quinceañera and Sofi Mendoza's Guide to Getting Lost in Mexico. Check out Malín Alegria's website at www.malinalegria.com.

Both Debbie and the reader's mother are interested in Chicano poetry slams--check out the Taco Shop Poets!