Author/Illustrator Meg Medina is a Cuban-American whose writing focuses on Latina girls and families. This is important in children’s literature since we need to focus on diversity of authors and seek to choose authors who write from the perspective of the culture they are representing. There are numerous links to articles and podcasts on her website—megmedina.com. The website also includes the Newbery Medal acceptance speech. Each of these resources will enable students to become acquainted with Medina as an author.
This is a book for exploring issues that are relevant to middle school students—bullying, identity, loneliness, multicultural understandings, competition, family dynamics, disappointment, intergenerational relations, Alzheimer’s disease (in fact, there is an author note explaining why this book is important to the author). Because of the richness of middle school issues, this might be an appropriate book to use as an interactive read-aloud in middle school, with rich conversations based on issues and changes related to the themes.
This book received the Newbery Medal award for 2019. As the book unfolds by chapters the 6th grade Cuban-American protagonist is a scholarship student at a prestigious school. Her home life is unlike those of her wealthy classmates. She is troubled by changes in her grandfather but no one will explain what is going on. This coming-of-age fictional book is full of humor and wisdom. The author gets to the heart of the confusion that defines being kids in middle school. Some kids will avoid the book due to the 355 page count but the font is reader-friendly and once students get hooked into the character they will want to keep reading.
I would have students listen to the Newbery Medal acceptance speech (begins at 5:01 on video). While listening we would pause and create an anchor chart for elements of an effective acceptance speech (speaking standards). It is a powerful and authentic example of incorporating specific appreciation, recognition, story, and themes. Medina also teaches students important lessons in how to use humor, gestures, and voice inflections to connect with her audience. She shows how to read a speech while having a genuine conversation with the audience.
Pathways Themes: Friends & Family, Personal Feelings & Growth, Social Issues & Culture
Pura Belpre Winner; Look up the Newbery speech
Reviewed by Krystal Bishop, EdD
Professor of Education
Southern Adventist University
By Nicholas Day, Art by Brett Helquist
