In this magical middle grade adventure by Cindy L. Rodriguez, a Guatemalan American girl fights to stop her cursed worry dolls before they blanket her friends and neighbors in anxiety--and the grief she carries over the loss of her father. Perfect for fans of The Doll People and The Total Eclipse of Nestor Lopez!
Lola Reyes doesn't want to leave Guatemala, a place full of warmth and sun, laughter and music--where her abuela and prima and tíos and tías surround her with love. Back in Sunnyside, it's cold. There's schoolwork and chores. And her mama transforms into Lola's super-serious school principal, Dr. Reyes.
Back at home...Lola can see, crystal clear, the empty place where Pop used to be. So Lola decides to bring a little bit of Guatemala--and Pop--back with her. She discovers his box of childhood worry dolls and sneaks them into her luggage, ignoring the warnings on the box not to use them. Later, when she tells them all her worries, from her friendship woes to the way Mama won't talk about how sad she is, the worry dolls come to life. Worse--they escape.
Lola has to enlist her neighbor and nemesis, Chance Townsend, to recapture the dolls because she discovers they're cursed. And as they absorb worries, they'll grow bigger and bigger. If Lola can't find a way to stop them, they'll burst, releasing all the worries they've absorbed a hundredfold on everyone in town. But when breaking the curse might mean confronting her own anxieties and grief, will Lola be able to face her emotions before it's too late?
Beto won't wear a guayabera to the wedding. Nope! Nunca! Not going to happen! Beto tries his best to rid himself of the traditional Mexican wedding shirt his Mami gave him. He even gets help from his dog Lupe, but the shirt ends up back on his bed each time with notes from Mami, who becomes increasingly frustrated with Beto. Mami insists that Beto attend the wedding, and wear the shirt, because--after all--it's her wedding! Beto has to accept the fact that Mami is getting remarried and that she wants him to wear the shirt, which is part of his heritage.
This book comes with a free Reader's Guide for children. The guide is available for free download from the publisher website. Lesson plans, activities, and discussion questions to allow parents, teachers, and caregivers to explore the topic further and deepen comprehension.
13 Reasons Why meets the poetry of Emily Dickinson in this gripping debut novel that's perfect for fans of Sara Zarr or Jennifer Brown.
A Goth girl with an attitude problem, Elizabeth Davis must learn to control her anger before it destroys her. Emily Delgado appears to be a smart, sweet girl with a normal life, but as depression clutches at her, she struggles to feel normal. Both girls are in Ms. Diaz's English class, where they connect to the words of Emily Dickinson. Both are hovering on the edge of an emotional precipice. One of them will attempt suicide. And with Dickinson's poetry as their guide, both girls must conquer their personal demons to ever be happy. In an emotionally taut novel that is equal parts literary and commercial, with a richly diverse cast of characters, readers will relish in the poetry of Emily Dickinson and be completely swept up in the turmoil of two girls fighting for their lives in Cindy L. Rodriguez's stunning debut.