Flor and Miranda Steal the Show

by Jennifer Torres

Overview

The carnival's deep fried pickles aren't the only things heating up in this funny novel about loyalty and finding friendship in surprising places.

Miranda is the lead singer in her family's musical band, Miranda y Los Reyes. Her family works hard performing at festivals and quinceañeras. Now, they have a shot at the main stage at Mr. Barsetti's carnival. It's just the opportunity they've been waiting for. How will Miranda make it a performance to remember?

Flor's family runs the petting zoo at the 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 Flor have the heart for sabotage once she and Miranda start to become friends?

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780316306911
Publisher:	Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Publication date:	06/12/2018
Sold by:	Hachette Digital, Inc.
Format:	eBook
File size:	12 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

Jennifer Torres is the author of Vega's Piece of the Sky; Stef Soto, Taco Queen; The Fresh New Face of Griselda; and other books for young readers. She writes stories about home, friendship, and unexpected courage inspired by her Mexican American heritage. Jennifer started her career as a newspaper reporter, and even though she writes fiction now, she hopes her stories still have some truth in them. She lives with her family in Southern California.

Editorial Reviews

04/23/2018
Eleven-year-olds Flor and Miranda both help out with their families’ acts at a traveling carnival: Miranda sings in a ranchera band with her siblings, and Flor helps out in her own family’s petting zoo. But while Miranda’s star is on the rise (the band has just been given an opportunity to perform at the center stage), interest in the petting zoo is dwindling. In fact, Flor overhears Miranda’s father ask for a raise, and when he’s told that another act would need to be cut to cover the cost, he suggests axing the petting zoo. This triggers the novel’s daylong adventure, during which Flor, playing tour guide, tries to prevent Miranda from performing in order to blow the band’s shot at center stage. Meanwhile, Miranda grapples with her desire to sing a song that she, not her dad, has chosen. From the fried-pickle stand to the Cloud Chaser swing ride, the spot-on details in this lively, fast-paced adventure help bring readers into the intriguing life of carnival workers, as well as the struggles both girls face living on the road. Lessons about friendship and standing up for oneself are organically woven into this entertaining romp. Ages 8–12. Agent: Jennifer Laughran, Andrea Brown Literary Agency. (June)

Publishers Weekly

"[A] lively, fast-paced adventure."—Publishers Weekly

"Readers will enjoy getting to know both protagonists and will root for them till the last page."—Booklist

"A wide range of middle grade readers are likely to see aspects of themselves in both Flor and Miranda."—School Library Journal

"Fans of Torres' Stef Soto, Taco Queen will delight in this pleasing mix of friendship story, Latino culture, and carnival milieu."—BCCB

"Readers cannot help but root for both heroines, who feel like two regular girls with universal struggles despite their uncommon circumstances. Feelings of summer fun and smells of funnel cake with follow readers home from this engaging story of family and friendship."—Kirkus Reviews

From the Publisher

03/01/2018
Gr 3–6—Narrated in the first person and alternating the perspectives of two 11-year-old girls, Flor and Miranda, this story takes place in the course of one day at a traveling carnival where the girls' families work. Flor's father runs the Maldonado Petting Zoo, which barely ekes out a living, while her mother must live apart to sustain them through other work. Miranda is the lead singer in her siblings' band, "Miranda y Los Reyes." After hearing the carnival owner muse about cutting the zoo to raise the band's salary, Flor sets out on a mission to prevent Miranda from a successful first performance on the main stage. The two meet and spend a day filled with stomach-churning carnival foods and fast-moving rides, and their growing friendship is tested when Flor's true motives are revealed. The protagonists' voices are very similar, which might create confusion for intermediate readers, despite visual clues as to who is narrating each chapter, namely, titles with the protagonists' names, the time of day, and analog clock images representing the time. VERDICT A wide range of middle grade readers are likely to see aspects of themselves in both Flor and Miranda. A solid secondary purchase.—Ruth Quiroa, National Louis University, Lisle, IL

School Library Journal

2018-03-18
The bright lights and screaming laughter of the carnival midway are not all they are cracked up to be for two young women hoping to help support their families on the fair circuit.Flor Maldonado and Miranda "Randy" Reyes share much in common. Both are Latina, both feel the pressure to help their families financially, and both call the road home as members of the Barsetti & Son All American Extravaganza traveling carnival. With so much in common, fast friendship would seem likely, but their goals are at odds. Flor discovers that success for Miranda and her family's band on the main stage might spell the end of the road for her family's petting zoo, as Mr. Barsetti cannot afford to keep both attractions on the tour. The first-person narrative shifts between Flor and Miranda chapter by chapter. Their voices and motivations are so similar, especially early on, that it may take readers a beat or two to recognize the change in perspective. Though the plot is a fairly straightforward one, the explorations of Flor's and Miranda's inner turmoil shine, providing windows into a unique lifestyle that feels authentic. Readers cannot help but root for both heroines, who feel like two regular girls with universal struggles despite their uncommon circumstances.Feelings of summer fun and smells of funnel cake will follow readers home from this engaging story of family and friendship. (Fiction. 8-12)

Kirkus Reviews