Miosotis Flores Never Forgets

by Hilda Eunice Burgos Narrated by Ana Osorio

Overview

Perfect for fans of Meg Medina and Barbara O'Connor, this heartfelt novel about family, pets, and other things we hold close is one that you'll never forget.

Miosotis Flores is excited about three things;fostering rescue dogs, goofy horror movies, and her sister Amarilis' upcoming wedding. But her papi wants her to care about school more than anything else, so they strike a deal -- if Miosotis improves her grades in two classes, she can adopt a dog of her own in the summer.

Miosotis dives into her schoolwork, and into nurturing a fearful little pup called Freckles. Could he become her forever dog? At the same time, she notices Amarilis behaving strangely--wearing thick clothes in springtime, dropping her friends in favor of her fiancé, even avoiding Miosotis and the rest of their family.

When Miosotis finally discovers her sister's secret, she faces some difficult choices. What do you do if someone is in danger, but doesn't want your help? When should you ask for support, and when should you try to handle things on your own?

What ultimately matters most--what Miosotis wants, or what's right for the ones she loves?

Editorial Reviews

DECEMBER 2021 - AudioFile

Narrator Ana Osorio creates a relatable portrayal of a loving Dominican-American family seen through the eyes of sixth-grader Miosotis. She desperately wants a dog, but the story also confronts more serious issues like racism, violence against women, and animal cruelty. Miosotis idolizes her lighter-skinned older sister, Amarilis, who attends an Ivy League university but is in an abusive relationship with her boyfriend. Her brother Jacinto faces racism as a dark-skinned teenager. Osario’s voice is youthful and innocent as Miosotis, and more mature and sophisticated as Amarilis. Osario easily shifts between Spanish and English, bringing authenticity to Miosotis’s family as well as her American friends and neighbors. Listeners will have no trouble connecting with Miosotis. S.C. © AudioFile 2021, Portland, Maine

Publishers Weekly

10/11/2021

The loving, Pennsylvania-based Dominican American family at the center of this engaging, clear-eyed novel has much to consider. Overachieving, light-skinned UPenn sophomore Amarilis is planning her wedding to Rich, a white Penn senior reliant on his father’s connections to secure his med school future. Middle brother Jacinto just got his driver’s license—only to be pulled over by a racist police officer. Dark-skinned, thick-haired sixth grader and narrator Miosotis just wants a dog. Her father, a professor at UPenn, agrees to adopt one if Miosotis can bring her C in science up to an A. As Miosotis realizes she needs to research a topic on her own, she recalls her mother, who died shortly after giving birth to her, and decides to report on discrepancies in maternal health among women of color. But when Miosotis learns an upsetting secret about Rich and Amarilis, her focus shifts, and wise neighbor Gina must help her see that supporting Amarilis means letting her make her own decisions, on her own timeline. Burgos builds a believable world in which strength of character is complex and contextual, deftly interweaving realities of racism and misogyny. Ages 9–12. (Oct.)

From the Publisher

Praise for Ana María Reyes Does Not Live in a Castle:

An ALA Notable Children's Book
A NPR Best Book of the Year
A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection

"An engaging, character-driven story ... An authentic representation of an immigrant, middle-class Latinx family who values education, community, and family and stays true to their roots." — School Library Journal, starred review

"Burgos's characters have depth, and the community she portrays is complex, warm, and very real. Themes of socio-economic disparities, bilingualism, and straddling of two cultures are brought effortlessly and realistically into the story. Readers will find places in their hearts for this strong and multifaceted character." — Kirkus Reviews, starred review

"A poignant tale of learning how to help those you love. " — Kirkus Reviews

"[Burgos] crafts a character who is thoughtful and true to herself, creating a satisfying story arc in which the protagonist determines her own potential." — The Horn Book

"Miosotis Flores Never Forgets is a profound and heartwrenching book that can help kick-start conversations on ... heavy and complicated issues." — Booklist

"Burgos builds a believable world in which strength of character is complex and contextual, deftly interweaving realities of racism and misogyny. " — Publishers Weekly

"This title provides a tremendous exploration of complex topics which allows readers to see the effects of abuse and the dangers of keeping silent firsthand. " — School Library Connection

Best Children's Books of the Year 2022, Bank Street College of Education

Carolyn W. Field Award honor

School Library Journal

10/01/2021

Gr 5 Up—Miosotis faces many social issues in her young life, including racism, physical abuse, and animal cruelty. Although each issue does not specifically touch her, she comes into contact with them through her family or at school. As a 13-year-old, Miosotis tackles each issue fervently. Her Abuela, Papi, and brother Jacinto teach her about her culture and how they have faced racism due to their Dominican background. Because she is very close to her college-age sister, Amarilis, Miosotis is able to figure out that something is not quite right between her sister and her boyfriend. Her friendly neighbors, Miss Mabel and Gina, teach her about respect and responsibility as they foster neglected pets, one of which Miosotis hopes to call her own. Her two best friends, Olivia and Zoe, are faithful companions who offer support and advice as Miosotis confronts issues that seem beyond her control. With such a tight-knit circle of friends and family, Miosotis is bound to be successful. VERDICT Readers will find a connection with Miosotis and gain insight on how to proceed in difficult social situations. Recommended for realistic fiction collections.—Martha Rico, Yselta I.S.D., TX

DECEMBER 2021 - AudioFile

Narrator Ana Osorio creates a relatable portrayal of a loving Dominican-American family seen through the eyes of sixth-grader Miosotis. She desperately wants a dog, but the story also confronts more serious issues like racism, violence against women, and animal cruelty. Miosotis idolizes her lighter-skinned older sister, Amarilis, who attends an Ivy League university but is in an abusive relationship with her boyfriend. Her brother Jacinto faces racism as a dark-skinned teenager. Osario’s voice is youthful and innocent as Miosotis, and more mature and sophisticated as Amarilis. Osario easily shifts between Spanish and English, bringing authenticity to Miosotis’s family as well as her American friends and neighbors. Listeners will have no trouble connecting with Miosotis. S.C. © AudioFile 2021, Portland, Maine

Kirkus Reviews

2021-08-18
Miosotis Flores loves dogs so much she makes a deal with her father: She’ll get A’s in science and Spanish and nothing less than a B in her other classes in exchange for her own pup.

An average student, sixth grader Miosotis feels less remarkable than the rest of her family: big sister Amarilis is a straight-A first-year at the University of Pennsylvania, where their Papi is a physics professor, and her older brother, Jacinto, is a track prodigy with a great SAT score. What dog lover Miosotis excels at is helping their neighbor Gina and her wife with all the dogs she fosters for a rescue organization. As she attempts to raise her grades (with help from her siblings and best friends, Zoe and Olivia), she starts to question the deal along with other things: her Abuela’s anti-Black comments, her father’s obsession with grades, and, most of all, her sister’s increasingly alarming and unhealthy relationship with her wealthy, White fiance, Rich. The author explores colorism through Miosotis’ multigenerational Dominican American family—Miosotis is darker-skinned with textured hair, like her Papi; Amarilis has light hair and eyes like their late mother—as Abuela’s judgmental comments about brown skin are carefully unpacked and given context. The story admirably handles themes of recognizing abuse of humans and dogs in an accessible, thoughtful way.

A poignant tale of learning how to help those you love. (author's note) (Fiction. 9-13)

Product Details

BN ID:	2940172874857
Publisher:	Penguin Random House
Publication date:	10/26/2021
Edition description:	Unabridged
Age Range:	8 - 11 Years

Read an Excerpt

Rory and I keep going until we reach the duck pond, and he heads straight toward the water. I hold him back. He sniffs his way near a gaggle of geese. They look a little vicious when they stand and waddle toward us, and some are even bigger than Rory, so I pick him up and run back to the trail. This dog definitely needs me to protect him. He knows it too. When I put him down, he balances on his hind legs and licks my face all over, which tickles and makes me laugh. At the end of the trail, I check for traffic, then cross the street and head home. I stop in front of Gina’s house and look over at mine. Rory sits and looks at me, and I’m pretty sure he’s ready to follow me anywhere, like Gina said about Prissy and Max. I stand under the pine tree my parents planted in front of our house after their first Christmas together. Rory trots over and sits next to me again. What would happen if I took off Rory’s leash? Would he stick beside me? I know we just met, but dogs always like me, and Rory seems to have gotten attached already. Even though Papi said I have to wait until the summer—and the two As—to get a dog, I wonder what he’d do if he saw Rory. Would he notice that Rory looks like a fluffy teddy bear, like my mother’s dog Osito? Maybe Papi would get all sentimental and let me keep him. After all, he gets teary every time he talks about Osito and my mother. "That dog followed her everywhere," he says. "He stopped eating when she was gone." I get a great idea. I’ll take off Rory’s leash, he’ll follow me home, and Papi will look up from his newspaper. He’ll remember my mother’s dog, see how much Rory loves me, and say, Yes, you may certainly keep him right now. And then I won’t have to worry about an A in science, or about any of my other grades. Just as I unclip the leash, a squirrel scampers down our pine tree and zooms toward the busy avenue. Rory bursts down the sidewalk and chases after the squirrel. I gasp and stare at his blur of a tail, unable to move.

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