Miss Quinces by Kat Fajardo, 256 pages. GRAPHIC NOVEL. Scholastic, 2022. $13
Language: G (0 swears); Mature Content G; Violence: G
BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - ESSENTIAL
AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH
15yo Sue just wants to spend a quiet summer reading and making comics with her friends. Instead, she ends up flying to Honduras to visit relatives who want to throw her a surprise quinceanera. Sue is adamant about not having a quince party because she doesn’t want to be the center of attention or wear a big puffy dress. Sue can’t even text her friends because her relatives are so far out in the country that there is no cell phone or internet.
The cover made this book seem childish to me and I wasn’t prepared to like it but I did. A lot. Sue has to come to terms with a big rambunctious family and traditions that bind people to their culture and each other. Sue has to find a balance between what she wants and what is important to those who love her. There are also themes of loss that work well here. The back of the book explains more about this particular tradition. I learned so much about quinces and the reasons behind them, while also loving Sue’s quirky character.
Michelle in the Middle
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