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“Although 12-year-old Cruzita is Mexican American and growing up in the historically Black and brown Los Angeles community of Pacoima, she struggles with her identity. Her peers look down on her as a “no sabo kid” and a “coconut” (brown on the outside, white on the inside). After the death of her beloved Tío Chuy, the family members pull together to save the struggling panadería, Lupe’s Bakery. Though Cruzita dreams of finding pop stardom—and saving the bakery—through the Encore Island theme park singing contest, her family needs her feet to be more firmly planted on the ground: for example, by helping out in the bakery over her summer vacation. …Many readers will resonat with the demands on her time, and the children and grandchildren of immigrants will likely identify especially strongly with Cruzita’s journey toward connecting with her roots.”
—Kirkus Reviews

Cruzita and the Mariacheros

Written by Ashley Granillo
Published by Carolrhoda Books

Cruzita is going to be a pop star. All she has to do is win a singing contest at her favorite theme park and get famous. But she can’t go to the theme park this summer. Instead, she has to help out at her family’s bakery, which has been struggling ever since Tío Chuy died. Cruzita’s great-uncle poured his heart into the bakery—the family legacy—and now that he’s gone, nothing is the same.

When Cruzita’s not rolling uneven tortillas or trying to salvage rock-hard conchas, she has to take mariachi lessons, even though she doesn’t know how to play her great-grandpa’s violin and she’s not fluent in Spanish. At first, she’s convinced her whole summer will be a disaster. But as she discovers the heart and soul of mariachi music, she realizes that there’s more than one way to be a star―and more than one way to carry on a legacy.

Primary ISBN: 9798765608500
Publication Date: April 2024
Available As: Hardcover, Paperback, Audiobook, eBook
Middle Grade, Age 11 or older

Community Represented:

Themes: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Setting: United States (Los Angeles CA)

Character's Place in the Immigration Journey: 2nd Generation

Book Creator(s) Connection to the Community Represented: Own Voices/Lived Experience

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Teacher Guide

Source: Lerner Books