Fajardo, Kat. Miss Quinces: A Graphic Novel. Kat Fajardo, Illus./Mariana Azzi, Colorist. Scholastic/Graphix. 05/2022. 234 [+18]pp. Graphic. GRADES 4-8. OUTSTANDING. $24.99. 978-1-338-53558-7. PB $8.89. 978-1-338-53559-4.
Second-generation Honduran American Suyapa (Sue) hopes to spend her summer with her best friends at camp, but a trip to visit family in rural Honduras derails her plans. When Sue discovers her family has planned a surprise quinceañera—a traditional ceremony celebrated in Latinx culture when a girl turns fifteen—she’s upset. Sue never wanted a quince, but she makes a deal with her mother: if she does all she’s asked to for the quince, she can go to camp with her friends. Kat Fajardo won a Pura Belpré Illustrator Honor award for her bright and colorful illustrations that perfectly embody the vibrancy of Latinx culture. Sue is portrayed as a tomboy, and the image of her in a frilly pink princess dress is especially effective. The emphasis on the importance of family and tradition is present throughout the story, and Suyapa’s interactions with her chaotic, but loving, family are shown realistically in all their funny, heartwarming, and sometimes gross, glory. Color is also used to normalize bilingualism in the text: Sue’s family speaks to her in Spanish, represented by blue font, while she responds in English (black font). Released simultaneously in Spanish, Srta. Quinces also uses the font color to depict what language is being spoken, with English shown in blue font and Spanish in the default black. Sue and her family are portrayed as having various shades of brown skin, with dark hair in a variety of textures. Back matter includes information on the quinceañera tradition and ceremony, as well as photos of the author at her quince.
Solia Martinez-Jacobs — Bret Harte Middle School, Oakland