Praise for Allie, First at Last:
"A sweet middle-grade read that promotes compassion and empathy over competitiveness." Kirkus Reviews, starred review
"Laced with Mexican-American language and culture, this realistic drama is filled with gentle humor, big lessons, and even bigger heart." Publishers Weekly
Praise for Gaby, Lost and Found:
“A timely, touching and nuanced portrayal of real-life challenges experienced by
children in mixed-status families.” Kirkus Reviews
“An emotionally compelling story.” – School Library Journal
“A timely and important story about immigration, deportation, and abandonment
wrapped in a warm-hearted tale that will appeal to all.” Sonia Manzano, Emmy
Award-winning actress who plays “Maria” on Sesame Street and Pura Belpre Honor
Award-winning author of The Revolution of Evelyn Serrano.
02/01/2016
Gr 4–6—In this realistic middle grade novel, Cervantes introduces a Latina fifth grader, Alyssa, otherwise known as Allie, who is struggling to find her place and identity as the third of four siblings in a family full of successful, award-winning individuals. She considers herself a failure when compared to Harvard-bound Adriana; his soccer whiz older brother, Aiden; and his younger sister Ava, a TV commercial star. Yet this is only half of the family: Allie's mom is a news anchor, and her dad is a fireman. It seems that everyone has won trophies and completed "firsts"—even her great grandfather is famous as the only World War II recipient of the Congressional Medal of Honor alive in the state. Fifth grade can be rough, filled with changing relationships and an intense self-centered focus. Allie tries, but often fails, to be understanding when a new friend's help on her science fair project is a disaster and former best friend Sarah chooses the same topic for the Kansas Trailblazer Contest. The first-person narrative captures the disquieting feelings that often accompany the preteen years, including the protagonist's insights on her language proficiency and efforts to make the right decisions. VERDICT This will appeal to middle grade girls, particularly for independent reading.—Ruth Quiroa, National Louis University, IL
★ 2015-12-08
Nothing but a first-place trophy will do for a 10-year-old girl obsessed with living up to her family's name. Fifth-grader Allie Velasco is the least notable member of an accomplished Mexican-American family. Her Congressional Medal of Honor-winning Great-Gramps is a hometown hero; her mom is a popular Kansas City news anchor; Harvard-bound big sister Adriana is a national debate champion; brother Aiden is a middle school soccer MVP; and little sister Ava is a model and actress. The only thing Allie wants is to win something of her own before graduating from Sendak Elementary School. After losing the science fair on a technicality, disciplined Allie sets her sights on a local arts competition, and she has the perfect subject: her universally adored bisabuelo. Unfortunately, her ex-best-friend Sara Lopez has the exact same idea. Most of Cervantes' characters are Latino, but all readers should relate to Allie's insecurities, ambitions, sibling issues, and friendship dramas. The author beautifully depicts the loving intergenerational bond between Bisabuelo and his young great-grandkids and carefully explores the subtle and overt differences between third-generation American Allie and her new friend, Victor Garcia, who hopes to be the first person in his family to graduate from high school and college. A sweet middle-grade read that promotes compassion and empathy over competitiveness. (Fiction. 8-12)