Miss Quinces
By Kat Fajardo
Graphic Novel
Realistic Fiction
Tween (grades 6+)
* * * * Stars (Great!)
Suyapa loves manga and drawing comics and wishes she could go to summer camp with her friends (who are into the same things), but her mami is very strict (she says NO, absolutely not), and the family is going to Honduras to visit family. While they are there, Suyapa learns that her mami has planned a surprise quinceañera for her (a big birthday bash with music and dancing and speeches to celebrate a girl’s transformation into a young woman). And Suyapa SPECIFICALLY told her that she didn’t want one. Her abuela manages to find a compromise that everyone can live with – Suyapa will have her quince, and if she does everything her mami tells her, she’ll also be able to go to camp when they get back home. Preparations for the big party are still excruciating for Suyapa, but she does her best. When tragedy strikes, the whole family has to decide what to do – should they still celebrate in the midst of their sadness? Celebrate Suyapa’s personal growth (her struggles and accomplishments) and burgeoning new confidence as you learn about quinces.
Reviewed by YA Librarian
