Sarai and the Meaning of Awesome

August 1, 2018

Gr 1-3-Sarai Gonzlez is awesome. She has a sign that says so in case anyone forgets. When she encounters a problem, she tackles it with her usual can-do attitude. Of course, raising enough money to help save her grandparents' house will take more than just cupcake sales, so she concocts a plan that involves her whole family in lemonade sales and a dance competition. The inspiration for this new series is 11-year-old Sarai Gonzalez, an Internet sensation, actress, and activist, who co-authored the story with the award-winning Brown. The duo has teamed up to create an upbeat, energetic tale full of positive vibes and feel-good family moments, all based on Gonzalez's life. Latinx readers will appreciate the Spanish terms sprinkled throughout, while colorful spot art adds charm. Young readers will embrace the Gonzalez family and appreciate Sarai's boundless enthusiasm. VERDICT A lively, fast-paced book with short chapters, perfect for intermediate readers looking for inspiring and optimistic family tales.-Laura Fields Eason, Parker Bennett Curry Elementary School, Bowling Green, KY

Copyright 2018 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

July 15, 2018
Young debut author Gonzalez joins veteran co-author Brown (Lola Levine and the Halloween Scream, 2017) to kick off a semiautobiographical chapter-book series based on her life growing up with a large and loving immigrant family in New Jersey.Fourth-grader Sarai is the oldest of three girls in a tightknit Latinx family (her mom was born in Peru, and her dad was born in Costa Rica). She is the epitome of positive thinking, with ambition to spare. When her beloved grandfather learns that the owner of the house he has been renting, and which he shares with his extended family, has decided to sell, Sarai is immediately concerned. Where will her abuelos, tíos, and primos live? What if they are no longer close by? Sarai's optimism does not let her stay down for long, and she immediately hatches a plan to use her fledgling cupcake business to raise the money needed to buy the house. Little sisters making a mess of the kitchen cause some trouble, but basic economics presents insurmountable odds--still, the ending is undoubtedly happy all the same. Sarai's neighborliness and strong family values may be aspirational for many in our contemporary society, but her contagious joy might just set readers on the road to remedy that. Though none of her plans ultimately succeed, she remains irrepressibly hopeful throughout; it's an admirable hope that fuels hard work and ingenuity. Almeda's illustrations depict Sarai and her family with brown skin and black hair.A Pollyanna for the 21st century. (Fiction. 7-9)

COPYRIGHT(2018) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

July 15, 2018
Young debut author Gonzalez joins veteran co-author Brown (Lola Levine and the Halloween Scream, 2017) to kick off a semiautobiographical chapter-book series based on her life growing up with a large and loving immigrant family in New Jersey.Fourth-grader Sarai is the oldest of three girls in a tightknit Latinx family (her mom was born in Peru, and her dad was born in Costa Rica). She is the epitome of positive thinking, with ambition to spare. When her beloved grandfather learns that the owner of the house he has been renting, and which he shares with his extended family, has decided to sell, Sarai is immediately concerned. Where will her abuelos, t�os, and primos live? What if they are no longer close by? Sarai's optimism does not let her stay down for long, and she immediately hatches a plan to use her fledgling cupcake business to raise the money needed to buy the house. Little sisters making a mess of the kitchen cause some trouble, but basic economics presents insurmountable odds--still, the ending is undoubtedly happy all the same. Sarai's neighborliness and strong family values may be aspirational for many in our contemporary society, but her contagious joy might just set readers on the road to remedy that. Though none of her plans ultimately succeed, she remains irrepressibly hopeful throughout; it's an admirable hope that fuels hard work and ingenuity. Almeda's illustrations depict Sarai and her family with brown skin and black hair.A Pollyanna for the 21st century. (Fiction. 7-9)

COPYRIGHT(2018) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.