Confetti Girl

by Diana Lopez
Confetti Girl is on the 2011-2012 William Allen White Award Master List for 6th-8th graders. It’s a fun, quick read set in Corpus Christi, Texas.  Lina (short for Apolonia Flores) is a typical sixth grade girl.  She’s tall, good at sports and school, but not one of the popular group.  She has a best friend named Vanessa, a guy friend named Luis, and she adores colorful socks. Lina and Vanessa are just experiencing their first crushes, setting some humorous scenes. Lina is struggling with her mother’s sudden death, and her father’s immersion in his books. But though some of the themes are serious, the overall tone is light. Lina seems to be successfully finding her own way through her problems. Each chapter starts with a dichos, a Latino saying.  There are Spanish words and traditions woven through the story, like the confetti-filled eggs called cascarones.  The characters are quirky and likable–including the adults–and the story is believeable.

Recommended for older elementary students. Reviewed by Victoria

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