Mariana and Her Familia

by Mónica Mancillas (Author) Erika Meza (Illustrator)

Mariana and Her Familia
Reading Level: 2nd − 3rd Grade

A heartwarming picture book about a young girl on her first trip to visit family in Mexico, who learns there is no language barrier when it comes to love--from debut author Mónica Mancillas and rising star illustrator Erika Meza. Perfect for fans of Where Are You From? and Mango, Abuela, and Me.

Mariana is visiting her abuelita and extended family in Mexico for the first time. Her tummy does a flip as she and Mami cross the frontera. There are all new sights, smells, and sounds. And at Abuelita's house, Mariana is overwhelmed by new faces and Spanish phrases she doesn't understand. But with a story, some kindness, and a few new words from Abuelita, Mariana discovers that the love of family knows no cultural divide.

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Hardcover
$17.99

Kirkus

A sweet look at what familia can mean.

Publishers Weekly

A child's uncertainty in navigating the dual identities of a bicultural upbringing is affirmingly depicted in Mancillas's insightful debut. Though Mami has told young Mariana that Abuelita's house "was your first home," the child's anxiety only increases as mother and daughter drive across the frontera from the U.S. to Mexico. And despite Abuelita's "warm welcome hug and a cheekful of grandma kisses," Mariana is shy around her family, 15 relatives she's seen in photos but who still feel like "brand-new people." Understanding only a few Spanish words, she longs to play with her cousins, "but she was too afraid to join in." Mancillas's assured narrative, which rings with compassion, smatters Spanish words throughout English lines; in Meza's watercolor pencil and gouache illustrations, Mariana swells with love that gives way to bright-eyed affection for a new place and new people. Ages 4-8. (Oct.)

Copyright 2022 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.

ALA/Booklist

Starred Review
Mancillas' touching story will be relatable to many first-, second-, and third-generation children and grandchildren of immigrants, who may be reconnecting with their own familias after time and distance apart.

Review quotes



Mónica Mancillas
Mónica Mancillas based her debut middle-grade novel on her own childhood experiences and those of her beloved sister, who shares her love of music and will someday take the world by storm. Mónica received her BA in Anthropology from the University of California at Berkeley before pursuing a decade-long career in the recording industry. She currently teaches piano in Burbank, California, where she resides with her husband and daughter. Her previous work includes Mariana and Her Familia, The Worry Balloon, and How to Speak in Spanglish. Find out more about Mónica at www.monicamancillas.com.
Classification
Fiction
ISBN-13
9780062962461
Lexile Measure
-
Guided Reading Level
-
Publisher
Balzer & Bray/Harperteen
Publication date
October 04, 2022
Series
-
BISAC categories
JUV039050 - Juvenile Fiction | Social Themes | Emotions & Feelings
JUV013030 - Juvenile Fiction | Family | Multigenerational
JUV039250 - Juvenile Fiction | Social Themes | Emigration & Immigration
JUV030100 - Juvenile Fiction | People & Places | Mexico
Library of Congress categories
-

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