Exclusive Cover Reveal: My Papi Has a Motorcycle by Isabel Quintero, Illustrated by Zeke Peña

A celebration of the love between a father and daughter, and of a vibrant immigrant neighborhood, by an award-winning author and illustrator duo.

We are super excited to share the cover for My Papi Has A Motorcycle by Isabel Quintero, illustrated by Zeke Peña. Read below for more on the book and check out the duo covers in English and Spanish on the left.

When Daisy Ramona zooms around her neighborhood with her papi on his motorcycle, she sees the people and places she's always known. She also sees a community that is rapidly changing around her. 

But as the sun sets purple-blue-gold behind Daisy Ramona and her papi, she knows that the love she feels will always be there.

With vivid illustrations and text bursting with heart, My Papi Has a Motorcycle is a young girl's love letter to her hardworking dad and to memories of home that we hold close in the midst of change.

 The book is available for pre-order now. Click here for more information.

NPH 'The Resolutions' Review

Written by Norma Perez-Hernandez

When adults tend to talk about reading inclusive books written by diverse authors, they (myself included) will say how their younger selves would love the increased representation in the books published for children today.

Still, have you read a new book that makes you feel like you are that kid again, reading it for the first time?

That’s the way I felt while reading The Resolutions by Mia García. Not only do I know that sixteen-year-old me would have loved this story about four best friends who happen to be Puerto Rican, but I could see myself absorbed in this book for my local library’s summer reading challenge, propped up on my mom’s old caramel colored corduroy upholstered loveseat, the fan hitting my face, and a can of Pringles at my side.

The Resolutions is all about the title: the four friends, Jess, Lee, Nora, and Ryan, decide on New Year’s Eve to adhere to the typical New Year’s tradition—except instead of coming up on their own resolutions, the friends write each other’s new year goals for each other. Ryan has to get over his ex and back into his art, Lee needs to decide whether she’ll take the test to know if she has the same disease that took her mother’s life, Nora has to decide if her dreams are tied to her mother’s restaurant, and Jess, the architect of this resolution project, has to say yes—and hopefully learn to say no to—all of the pressure she puts on herself.

At first glance, one may wonder what’s so revolutionary about The Resolutions. There are no dragons to slay, no evil wizards, no marginalized pain in this book’s pages. And that’s what honestly makes The Resolutions so refreshing. It’s a book about four regular teenagers who all just happen to be of Puerto Rican descent. Their pain and conflict comes from other sources than their Latinx identities: breakups, new and changing relationships, anxiety about school and their future, and so on. And if we could have more books like The Resolutions, we can see even more of the rich diversity of Latinx teenagers, their identities, fears, weaknesses, dreams, and triumphs.

The Resolutions by Mia García came out on November 13, 2018 from Katherine Tegen Books. For more information, click here.

Friendship, Growing Up and Unsung Heroes: November Releases 2018

As the days get shorter, the nights longer, and the year begins to wrap up, there is no better feeling than getting cozy with a good book. ‘Tis the season of hot chocolate and comfort after all, isn’t it? This year has brought incredible books by Latinx authors month after month, and November is no exception. Happy reading!

If you’re looking for a heartwarming, coming of age story about a group of friends then look no further — Mia Garcia’s The Resolutions, published by HarperCollins, is hitting shelves this November with exactly that. When best friends Jess, Lee, Ryan and Nora realize that their upcoming senior year and the changes that will follow loom over them, they decide to rekindle their friendship by doing what any average friend group would do: create New Year’s Resolutions — yeah, those.

These four take it to the next level, challenging each other with different New Year’s Resolutions that will push them to discover things about themselves. The book then follows the friends throughout the next year, as they explore their friendship, relationships, and themselves. Each of these characters compliment each other as they learn more about themselves and the world around them.

Also coming to a bookstore near you this month is The Vast Wonder of the World: Biologist Ernest Everett Just, written by Mélina Mangal and illustrated by Luisa Uribe. The charming picture book tells the story of Ernest Everett Just, an African-American scientist in the early 1900s that broke down barriers and led to incredible breakthroughs in modern cell science. Told against a backdrop of gorgeous illustrations, the book highlights Just’s persistence in the face of adversity and how his success changed science forever. If you’re looking for a great picture book to add to your collection, this is it.  

Whether you’re looking for a plucky coming-of-age story centered around authentically written Latinx teens, or a picture book about an unsung hero, November’s releases are here to deliver.