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“Chambers places universal friendship trials within the specific joy and beauty of an Afro-Panamanian family, capturing the deep, intense emotions of childhood bonds. Rim’s delightful illustrations punctuate the text and capture the mood of the characters’ journeys. . . . Funny, heartwarming, and sweet.”
—Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review

Flora la Fresca & the Art of Friendship

Written by Veronica Chambers
Illustrated by Sujean Rim
Published by Penguin Young Readers Group

Flora Violeta LeFevre, aka Flora “la Fresca” (so called because she tells it like it is, occasionally to her parents’ chagrin) can always count on her best friend Clara Ocampo Londra to turn anything-from a day at the skate park to dreaded Saturday Spanish school ­into an exciting adventure. But amidst Flora’s personal nightmare that is her sister Maylin’s never-ending dress try-ons and dance practices for her upcoming quinceañera, news breaks that Clara’s moving, and Flora doesn’t know how she’ll survive without her. The girls quickly roll up their sleeves and use their larger-than-life imaginations to make the most of each passing day together. But things get complicated when Clara moves and starts making new friends, an unlikely alliance blossoms between Flora and a new student, and preparations for Maylin’s quince take a disastrous (but hilarious) turn.

Primary ISBN: 9780525556299
Publication Date: July 2023
Available As: Hardcover, Audiobook, eBook
Middle Grade , Age 08 or older

Community Represented:

Themes: , , , , , , ,

Setting: United States (Rhode Island)

Character’s New Arrival/New American Status: 1st Generation

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

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