Confetti Girl

When I saw the description for Confetti Girl by Diana López in the Scholastic book order, I knew that I had to get a copy for my classroom library. Now that I have finished it, I can't wait to book talk it tomorrow. One of my favorite aspects of the book is the dichos, or Spanish sayings, at the start of each chapter. Some are familiar dichos that my husband, his family or sister in laws say. Others were new to me but made me laugh. This will be perfect for my students in a dual immersion setting; however, all of the dichos are listed bilingually, so monolingual students can enjoy them as well. 

In the book, middle schooler Lina has a lot to deal with. Ever since her mom died her dad seems to have his face constantly stuck in a book. He even brings a book with him to watch her volleyball game. She is always wishing her mom was with her since she would not be absorbed in her own world, as her dad is. On top of that Lina is flunking her English class, dealing with having her best friend ignore her to be with a boy, and experienced her own first glimpse into love. 

I enjoyed getting to know Lina's fun personality throughout the book and wondering what would happen next with the various delicate relationships in her life. I hope that López will be writing more middle grade novels soon.