GZLA

MISS QUINCES

May 2022, Graphix/Scholastic, 272 pp

A coming-of-age middle grade graphic novel about a girl forced to celebrate her quinceañera despite hating all things pretty and pink.

Suyapa “Sue” Gutierrez was planning a fun summer at camp with her friends, but is instead forced into a family trip to Honduras where she’s stuck with her crazy relatives. Plus, her mom surprises her with the news that she’s going to have a quinces there, despite Sue’s protests. The pair strike a deal: if Sue goes along with the quinces without complaint, she can go to camp with her friends later in the summer. But between the photo shoots, dance practice, wild turkeys (yes, wild turkeys), and her overeager family, Sue doesn’t know how long she’ll be able to take it all. Will she be able to hold up her end of the bargain and make it to camp?

STARRED REVIEWS

SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL -“With all of the charm of Raina Telgemeier and Lucy Knisley’s works, this title will be enjoyed by voracious fans of coming-of-age graphic novels. But the specificity of having to stride two cultures and feeling like an outcast in both will especially resonate with readers from bicultural communities.”

THE HORN BOOK – “Fajardo’s deft graphic-novel paneling and expressive use of line and Azzi’s color palette of cool blues and pinks convey the complexity and full range of Sue’s feelings, both in important moments and in more mundane ones.”

ACCOLADES