《芒果街上的小屋》 一本優美純凈的小書，一本“詩小說”。由幾十個短篇組成，語言清澈如流水，點綴著零落的韻腳和新奇的譬喻，如一首首長歌短調，各自成韻，又彼此鉤連，匯聚出一個清晰世界，各樣雜沓人生。所有的講述都歸于一個敘述中心：居住在芝加哥拉美移民社區芒果街上的女孩埃斯佩朗莎。生就對弱的同情心和對美的感覺力，她用清澈的眼打量周圍的世界，用美麗稚嫩的語言講述成長、滄桑、生命的美好與不易和年輕的熱望與夢想，夢想有一所自己的房子，夢想在寫作中追尋自我，獲得自由和幫助別人的能力。

　　Our good days 1

If you give me five dollars I will be your friend forever. That's what the little one tells me.

　　Five dollars is cheap since I don't have any friends except Cathy who is only my friend till Tuesday.

　　Five dollars, five dollars.

　　She is trying to get some body to chip in so they can buy a bicycle form this kid named Tito. They already have ten dollars and all they need is five more.

　　Don't talk to them, says Cathy. Can't you see they smell like a broom.

　　But I like them. Their clothes are crooked and old. They are wearing shiny Sunday shoes without socks. It makes their bald ankles all red, but I like them. Especially the big one who laughs with all her teeth. I like her even though she lets the little one do all the talking.

　　Five dollars, the little one says, only five.

　　　　　　　　　　　　
我們的好日子 1

　　如果你給我五塊錢，我會永遠做你的朋友。那個小的這么對我說

　　五塊錢很便宜，因為我沒有任何朋友，除了凱茜，她是我星期二之前的朋友。

　　五塊錢啊，五塊錢。

　　她想找人湊錢，那樣，他們可以從那個叫提陀的小孩哪里買一輛自行車。她們已經十塊了，他們再添五塊錢就夠了。

　　只要五塊。她說。

　　別喝他們說話。凱茜說，你難道看不出來他們聞起來像掃把？

　　可是我喜歡她們。她們的衣服又皺又舊。她們穿的锃亮的禮拜天的鞋子，卻沒穿短襪。鞋子把她們的光腳踝擦得紅紅的。我喜歡她們。尤其是那個大的，小的時候露出一口牙齒。我喜歡她，盡管她讓小的出來說話。

　　五塊，小的說，只要五塊。