Stef Soto Taco Queen

A heartwarming and charming debut novel about family, friends, and finding your voice all wrapped up in a warm tortilla. Estefania "Stef" Soto is itching to shake off the onion-and-cilantro embrace of Tia Perla, her family's taco truck. She wants nothing more than for Papi to get a normal job and for Tia Perla to be a distant memory. Then maybe everyone at school will stop seeing her as the Taco Queen. But when her family's livelihood is threatened, and it looks like her wish will finally come true, Stef surprises everyone (including herself) by becoming the truck's unlikely champion. In this fun and heartfelt novel, Stef will discover what matters most and ultimately embrace an identity that even includes old Tia Perla.

From the author of Stef Soto, Taco Queen comes this story about sisterhood, friendship, and the intricacies of blended families. Raquel and Lucinda used to be inseparable. But ever since their parents split, Raquel has been acting like editor-in-chief of their lives. To avoid her overbearing sister, Lucinda spends most of her time with her headphones on, practicing her skating routine. Then a pandemic hits, and the sisters are forced to spend the lockdown at their dad’s ranch house. When their classmates suggest they bring their mom along, Raquel sees a chance to get back everything she has lost. They could get their parents to fall in love again and give their family a second chance, a do-over. But neither of them is expecting to find their dads new family in their house. And when Lucinda finds she actually really likes them, Raquel gets even more desperate to fix things. As her schemes to get rid of her dad’s new girlfriend get more and more out of hand, Lucinda starts to wonder what they are really fighting for. Trying to bring the Mendoza family back together, seems to be tearing everyone further apart.

A moving coming-of-age novel about one girl's struggles after her parents lose their home, and her journey to find hope in family and friendship, from Jennifer Torres, the author of Stef Soto, Taco Queen. Griselda "Geez" Zaragoza has a love for beautiful things, like her collection of vintage teacups and the flower garden she and her dad planted in the front yard. But when his business fails, Griselda loses not just her home, but also her confidence and her trust in her unflappable parents. Tagging along with big sister Maribel, who postponed college for a job selling Alma Cosmetics, Geez dreams up a way to reclaim the life she thinks she lost. If she can sell enough tubes of glistening, glittery Alma lip gloss, she'll win a cash prize that could help jump start her dad's business. With ups and downs along the way, Geez will discover that beauty isn't just lost or found, but made and re-made.

Enjoy carnival rides and deep fried pickles in this warm, funny middle-grade novel about family and friendship. Miranda is the lead singer in her family's musical band, Miranda y Los Reyes. Her family has worked hard performing at festivals and quinceañeras. Now, they have a shot at the main stage. How will Miranda make it a performance to remember? Flor's family runs the petting zoo at Mr. Barsetti's carnival. When she accidentally overhears Mr. Barsetti and Miranda's dad talk about cutting the zoo to accommodate Miranda y Los Reyes's main stage salary, she knows she has to take action. Will she have the heart for sabotage once she and Miranda actually start to become friends?

Loosely based on real-life events, this suspenseful story, by a debut novelist, is also funny and touching and will have readers riveted from start to finish. Lucy's mother is the U.S. Ambassador to Ethiopia, so Lucy's life must be one big adventure, right? Wrong. Lucy's worrywart mother keeps her locked up inside the ambassador's residence. All Lucy can do is read about the exotic and exciting world that lies beyond the compound walls and imagine what it would be like to be a part of it. That is, until one day Lucy decides she has had enough and she and a friend sneak off for some fun. But to their horror, Lucy gets kidnapped! With only herself to rely upon, Lucy must use her knowledge of African animals, inventiveness, will, and courage to escape, and in the process embarks on an adventure beyond her wildest imagination. Includes bonus material! - Book Club Discussion Guide

Incredible stories. Award-winning storytellers. Epic adventure, mystery, and fun? We've got it all in Ghostwriter—the extraordinary new series from the Emmy-award winning hit Apple TV+ show, created by your friends at Sesame Workshop. Three tales of middle-grade magic from around the globe! Discover a paintbrush that brings to life whatever is drawn, a mysterious girl who communicates with animals and controls the weather, and an enchanted statue that grants major-league baseball skills in fun remixes of classic folktales by award-winning authors Henry Lien, Jennifer Torres, and Varsha Bajaj. Featuring an introduction by Newbery and Coretta Scott King Award winning poet and writer Kwame Alexander. The book also includes bonus activities: Games Quizzes Puzzles Vocabulary Reading Comprehension and Crafts!

David Suárez gets stuck in the middle of a prank war when the neighborhood twins and triplets compete to rule the school. This is the first book of this hilarious, highly illustrated early chapter book series. David can't wait to go back to school and get far away from his trickster neighbors. But he's in for a surprise when a set of equally prank-loving triplets move onto his block--and into his class! Now the twins and triplets are battling for control of the playground and David is stuck in the middle. Can he end the prank war before recess gets cancelled for the whole year? HarperChapters build confident readers one chapter at a time! With short, fast-paced books, art on every page, and milestone markers at the end of every chapter, they're the perfect next step for fans of I Can Read!

A heartwarming and charming debut novel about family, friends, and finding your voice all wrapped up in a warm tortilla. Estefania "Stef" Soto is itching to shake off the onion-and-cilantro embrace of Tia Perla, her family's taco truck. She wants nothing more than for Papi to get a normal job and for Tia Perla to be a distant memory. Then maybe everyone at school will stop seeing her as the Taco Queen. But when her family's livelihood is threatened, and it looks like her wish will finally come true, Stef surprises everyone (including herself) by becoming the truck's unlikely champion. In this fun and heartfelt novel, Stef will discover what matters most and ultimately embrace an identity that even includes old Tia Perla.