Author : Malin Alegria
5th Grade and up

Estrellas Quinceanera

Estrellas Quinceanera, Softcover, English, Book, Malin Alegria, 5th Grade and up, 9780689878107, $8.99

For as long as Estrella Alvarez can remember, her mother has beenplanning to throw her an elaborate quinceañera for her fifteenthbirthday -- complete with a mariachi band, cheesy decorations, and ahideous dress. Just thinking about her quince makes Estrella cringe. Buther mother insists that it's tradition.  Estrella has other things on her mind, anyway -- like dating Speedy. Doesit matter that her new friends -- and her parents -- would never approve of aguy from el barrio? Estrella's almost fifteen and wants to start makingher own decisions. But is she ready to find out who she is -- and who shereally wants to be?

School Library Journal : Grade 5-10-Estrella Alvarez is finally getting her life together. She has earned a scholarship to an elite private school in San Jose and made friends with some of the wealthy girls. Now, however, she is ashamed of her mother and her home, and has dropped her former best friends. To make things worse, her mother and Tía Lucky are insisting on going through with her quinceañera, complete with mariachi band and puffy-sleeved orange dress. She has fallen for Speedy, a classmate from the barrio, but is forbidden to see him. As the plans for the party progress, Estrella's world implodes as she alienates her family and friends with half-truths and deceptions. It is left to her to cobble together a quinceañera, be proud of her heritage, and still be true to herself. The plot is fast paced, with engaging and likable characters. The protagonist's search for identity and fight for independence from her loving but strict family are wrought with humor, yet remain poignant and true. The tone of the book is light, but the teen's journey through the maze of culture and class is deftly handled.

Booklist : Gr. 7-10. Estrella is mortified when plans begin for her fifteenth-birthday celebration. She envisions a large, tacky celebration and a gaudy, fufu rufu gown. Even worse, her damas (female escorts) are bitter childhood friends who accuse Estrella of abandoning them since she won a scholarship to a private school in the ritziest neighborhood in San Jose. Then Estrella falls for Speedy, a former grade-school classmate who is also Mexican American, and she feels increasingly conflicted as she moves between her wealthy school friends and the "one big crazy family" of her barrio. The ending ties things up a bit too neatly, but in her first novel, Alegria writes about Mexican American culture, first love, family, and of moving between worlds with poignant, sharp-sighted humor and authentic dialogue. Teens of all backgrounds will see themselves in Estrella's struggle to discover herself and to stand firm against outside expectations. A laugh-out-loud Spanglish glossary concludes.

Malin Alegria Collection Books :

Horrible Books :

Del Sol Books : www.delsolbooks.com and 6574 Edmonton Avenue, San Diego, CA, 92122
Alma Flor Ada : www.almaflorada.com and almaflorada.blogspot.com 
F. Isabel Campoy : www.isabelcampoy.com and isabelcampoy.blogspot.com
Suni Paz : www.sunipaz.com