Shine On, Luz Véliz! | Chronicle Books
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Shine On, Luz Veliz!

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Rebecca Balcarcel
A Kirkus Pick for Best Middle Grade Fiction of 2022. A School Library Journal Best Book of 2022.   A beautiful coming-of-age story for fans of Front Desk and Merci Suárez Changes ...
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★"[A]bsorbing and skillfully paced, laced with insight and warmth . . . [Shine On, Luz Véliz! is] inspiring, smart, and beautifully written."
—Kirkus Reviews, starred review

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A Kirkus Pick for Best Middle Grade Fiction of 2022.
A School Library Journal Best Book of 2022.

 

A beautiful coming-of-age story for fans of Front Desk and Merci Suárez Changes Gears, this book celebrates identity, language, heritage, family, and the determination to follow one’s own inner light. 

Have you ever been the best at something . . . only to lose it all?

Luz Véliz is a soccer star—or rather, she was a soccer star. With her serious knee injury, it’s unlikely she’ll be back on the field anytime soon. But without soccer, who is she? Even her dad treats her differently now—like he doesn’t know her or, worse, like he doesn’t even like her. When Luz discovers she has a knack for coding, it feels like a lifeline to a better self. If she can just ace the May Showcase, she’ll not only skip a level in her coding courses and impress Ms. Freeman and intriguing, brilliant Trevor—she’ll have her parents cheering her on from the sidelines, just the way she likes it.

But something—someone—is about to enter the Vélizes’ life. And when Solana arrives, nothing will be the same, ever again.

Unforgettable characters, family drama, and dauntless determination illuminate Luz’s journey as she summons her inner strength and learns to accept others and embrace the enduring connection of family. Through it all, Luz’s light is a constant—a guide for others, a path forward through the dark, and an ineffable celebration of her own eternal self.

This is the second novel by Pura Belpré Honor winner Rebecca Balcárcel!

FAST-PACED FAMILY DRAMA: Fast-paced, deeply felt, and with all the high highs and low lows of adolescence, this story is downright fun―a page-turner even while it’s dealing with serious issues.

WHO AM I? This book grapples with a topic so many young people deal with daily: one’s relationship to heritage and culture. Luz confronts her ties to her home country, the place of her father’s birth, and her family itself in a thoughtful, emotional journey filled with humor, urgency, and grace.

CODING IS COOL!: Coding is a language many kids enjoy learning and are encouraged to master. The way this book frames coding and computer programming as an opportunity for communication, bonding, and building fun, practical skills will speak loudly to kids already interested in the field while also resonating with those who aren’t.

AN ALL-AMERICAN EXPERIENCE: This is an important book for its thought-provoking, empathetic look at immigration in the United States and at how the threat of deportation informs the experiences of some of our country’s most vulnerable communities. With lyrical prose, deeply felt characters, and a relatable story, Shine On, Luz Véliz! adds substantively to our fraught discussion about immigration and opens it to young readers.

AUTHOR ON THE RISE: Rebecca Balcárcel won the Pura Belpré Author Honor, which recognizes literature for children or youth that best portrays the Latino cultural experience, for her first book, The Other Half of Happy. She is a beloved presence in the children’s literature community and is making her mark as a writer to watch. 

Perfect for:

  • Kids who love reading about family and friend drama
  • Kids who love coding
  • Parents
  • Grandparents
  • Educators
  • Fans of Meg Medina, Rebecca Stead, and Kelly Yang
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 276
Size: 5 5/8 x 8 1/8
Age Range: Chronicle Books
Publication Date: 05/03/2022
ISBN: 9781797209678
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05/03/2022

★"[A]bsorbing and skillfully paced, laced with insight and warmth . . . [Shine On, Luz Véliz! is] inspiring, smart, and beautifully written."
Kirkus Reviews, starred review

★"A great novel about the struggles of friendship and family, and that what makes a person who they are is more than what other people think of them… A must-have for middle school collections; fans of Jessica Kim's Stand Up, Yumi Chung and Kelly Yang's Front Desk will love this ­coming-of-age novel."
School Library Journal, starred review

"Full of family drama and efforts to find oneself, this tale brims with hope as Luz learns to open her heart, connect with her heritage, accept change, and ponder what the future might hold. A lovely and touching coming-of-age story."
Booklist

"Each girl's motivation and emotional journey is fully credible, and the emerging backstory of Solana's flight from Guatemala is wrenching. Balcárcel releases a confetti storm of feel-good subplot resolutions, but they do not detract from the core dynamic of a good family becoming even better as it widens its embrace. An author's note on the inspiration for Solana's story is included."
The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

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