Isabel in Bloom
Written by Mae Respicio
Published by Penguin Random House
A girl discovers a connection between her home in the Philippines and her new home in the U.S. through a special garden in this middle grade novel that celebrates nourishment and growth.
Twelve-year-old Isabel is the new kid in her San Francisco middle school. It’s the first time in many years that she’ll be living with her mother again. Mama’s job in the US allowed Isabel and her grandparents to live more comfortably in the Philippines, but now Isabel doesn’t really know her own mother anymore.
Making new friends in a new city, a new country, is hard, but joining the gardening and cooking club at school means Isabel will begin to find her way, and maybe she too, will begin to bloom.
In this beautifully rendered novel-in-verse, Mae Respicio explores how growth can take many forms, offering both the challenges and joy of new beginnings.
Primary ISBN: 9780593302712
Publication Date: April 2024
Available As: Hardcover, Paperback, Audiobook, eBook
Middle Grade, Age 08 or older
Community Represented: Filipino/Filipino American
Themes: Coming of Age, Cross-Group Friendship, Cultural Empowerment, Cultural Empowerment & Joy: Food, Cultural Empowerment & Joy: Identity, Discrimination: Microaggression, Family Relationship: Grandparents, Family Relationship: Parents, Format: Novel In Verse, Immigrant: Economic, Immigrant: Reunion of Family, Outdoor Exploration, Own Voices/Lived Experience, Welcoming by School
Setting: Philippines, United States (San Francisco CA)
Character's Place in the Immigration Journey: Immigrant
Book Creator(s) Connection to the Community Represented: Own Voices/Lived Experience
Click here for details about how we define our titles.
Engagement Projects & Resources:
Share your favorite resources for this book with info@imyourneighborbooks.org.
Engagement Materials:
Source: Random House