Mani semilla finds her quetzal voice - anna lapera

Anna Lapera expertly voices a young girls middle school trials, but with a voice so unique and heartfelt you will be cringing one moment and cheering the next.

She weaves a distinctive story filled with humor, family heartache, and secrets while a young girl releases the fear of her voice and grasps its power.

-- Newbery Medalist Donna Barba Higuera For fans of Donna Barba Higueras Lupe Wong Wont Dance and Aida Salazars The Moon Within, comes Mani Semilla Finds Her Quetzal Voice -- a contemporary middle grade novel full of spunk and activist heart.

Manuela Mani Semilla wants two things: To get her period, and to thwart her moms plan of taking her to Guatemala, a place that has always been more of a mystery than an answer.

Mani cant imagine leaving behind Las Nerdas, her band of misfit friends, for the summer.

But after she finds letters written between her mother and her disappeared-journalist aunt, Manis idea of what it means to be a woman takes flight.

Reading the letters reveals both the beauty of Guatemala and its history of violence against women, and slowly transforms Mani from quiet bystander into budding activist.