Miss Quinces
by Kat Fajardo (Author) Kat Fajardo (Illustrator)
Rising star Kat Fajardo's debut middle-grade graphic novel about a girl who would rather do anything other than celebrate her quinceañera! A funny and heartfelt coming-of-age story about navigating the expectations of family and cultural tradition.
Sue just wants to spend the summer reading and making comics at sleepaway camp with her friends, but instead she gets stuck going to Honduras to visit relatives with her parents and two sisters. They live way out in the country, which means no texting, no cable, and no Internet! The trip takes a turn for the worse when Sue's mother announces that they'll be having a surprise quinceañera for Sue, which is the last thing she wants. She can't imagine wearing a big, floofy, colorful dress! What is Sue going to do? And how will she survive all this quality time with her rambunctious family?
Miss Quinces/Srta. Quinces is the first graphic novel published by Scholastic/Graphix to be simultaneously released in English and Spanish editions!
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School Library Journal
Gr 4-8–In her graphic novel debut, Fajardo adeptly captures the angst of young people who are caught between two cultures—too Latinx to be accepted as American and too American to be accepted as Latinx. All tween Suyapa “Sue” Gutierrez wants to do this summer is hang out with her cool friends at summer camp and work on her comics. Instead, she has to head to Honduras to visit family where her mother surprises her with plans to have a quinceañera party. The last thing Sue wants to do is wear a big poofy dress, dance the waltz in high heels, and celebrate a very traditional and girly event where she is the center of attention. Fajardo explores themes of sisterhood, bilingualism, and intergenerational conflicts and resolutions in this delightful and often touching volume. The protagonist is sweet but prickly, a winning combination in this inviting work done in candy-colored and cheerful digital art. The variation in panel sizes enhances the even pacing, and the expressive faces and body movements ramp up the book’s humor. Blue font indicates when characters are speaking in Spanish, while black font indicates English. Sue and her family often switch between the two, but over the course of the summer, their speech bubbles feature more blue text, though she remains more proficient in English. Sue’s school friends are a variety of races as are her family members—refreshingly showing the diversity within the Honduran community.
VERDICT 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. --Shelley M. Diaz , May 01, 2022
Copyright 2022 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
Review quotes
Praise for Miss Quinces:
National Indie Bestseller
NPR Best Book
Publishers Weekly Best Summer Read
The Horn Book Summer Reading Recommendation
Breezy paneling and cartoony art bring humor and warmth. — The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
Touching and warm-hearted, this graphic novel shows the joy in embracing family traditions while still being true to yourself. — Entertainment Weekly
A colorful, funny tale of growing up, finding out what's important, and figuring out how to be yourself. — NPR
Praise for Srta. Quinces:
Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection
bookis amazing
this book is the best i recomed peoplke to put in librares ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
bookis amazing
this book is the best i recomed peoplke to put in librares ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
Kat Fajardo is a Honduran Colombian award-winning cartoonist and illustrator from the lively and magical place of Loisaida, New York City. They are the creator of Miss Quinces, which was a National Indie Bestseller, received two starred reviews, and was selected as a summer reading pick by Entertainment Weekly, Publishers Weekly, The Horn Book, and the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. It was the first Graphix title to be simultaneously published in English and Spanish (as Srta. Quinces). They are a graduate of the School of Visual Arts, and their work has been recognized by online publications such as Remezcla, El Hispanic News, School Library Journal, Huffington Post Latino Voices, and more. Kat loves to create playful and colorful work about self-acceptance and Latine culture. When they aren't making comics, you might find them collecting small junk for scrapbooking, listening to spooky podcasts, or chasing after their sock-stealing pups, Mac and Roni. Kat lives in Austin, Texas. Visit them online at katfajardo.com.
JUV013030 - Juvenile Fiction | Family | Multigenerational
JUV039020 - Juvenile Fiction | Social Themes | Adolescence
JUV014000 - Juvenile Fiction | Girls & Women
JUV030040 - Juvenile Fiction | People & Places | Caribbean & Latin America
Families
Family life
Graphic novels
Coming of age
Girls
Cartoons and comics
Comics (Graphic works)
Humorous comics
Quinceaanera (Social custom)
Coming-of-age comics
Honduras
Honduran Americans
