(2) 4-6 On Higuera's barren post-apocalyptic Earth, Pocatels rule over the Spanish-speaking Cascabels, refugees from the San Joaquin Valley, forcing them to live in squalid tent cities, endure long hours harvesting potatoes, and subsist on next to nothing. Thirteen-year-old Leandro and his younger sister, Gabi, impoverished and orphaned Cascabels, plan to escape the Pox, as their settlement is called, but when Gabi is caught stealing a strawberry from a fruit seller, their scheme is thwarted. Leandro takes the blame, and he's sent to the Center of Banishment for the theft. He's given a choice: banishment or have his consciousness transferred to an alebrije, an Old World animal drone. He chooses the alebrije: as a drone hummingbird, he's free to fly from the confines of Pocatel, but his choice comes with conditions. For one, he's tasked with finding the daughter of one of the ruling directors and returning her to Pocatel. On his quest, Leandro uncovers the lies of the government; finds La Cuna, a legendary verdant paradise of the Cascabels; and discovers what it means to be a hero. With its social and environmental commentary, this fast-paced and imaginative novel tackles issues of deception and control and leaves one with a sense of wonder that a single flap of a wing or a solitary voice can bring about unimaginable change. An epilogue gratifyingly ties this book to Higuera's Newbery Award winning The Last Cuentista (rev. 9/21).

Reviewer: Yesica Hurd | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2023

(2) PS Illustrated by Juliana Perdomo. Ramón and his not-so-mythical friend El Cucuy are back for “Nochebuena, the final day of Las Posadas.” With an eye-catching backdrop of cut paper–inspired digital illustrations, Ramón explains the Navidad tradition to El Cucuy and how they will invite the revelers into their family’s house as the last stop. After Ramón reassures him that “por supuesto” he is a part of their family, El Cucuy, in turn, teaches the traditions to Ramón’s snowman, whom he had previously dismissed as “not real.” Continuing the themes of welcoming and belonging from ­El Cucuy Is Scared, Too! (rev. 7/21), this is an enjoyable addition to the quirky series. Author and illustrator notes give more information on Las Posadas and related celebrations.

Reviewer: | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2023

(2) PS Illustrated by Juliana Perdomo. Ramón, a Mexican American boy, is scared of starting school in a new town. El Cucuy, the Bogeyman in Mexican folklore, lives in a cactus pot in Ramón's room. Like Ramón, he too is anxious about being in a foreign setting. By talking it out and remembering the ways they have been there for each other, Ramón and El Cucuy realize that they can take on this new place together. Higuera fluidly intersperses Spanish words throughout the text, and their meanings can be inferred from context. She also inserts other Mexican tributes, for instance when Ramón recalls singing "Cielito Lindo," one of the most popular songs in Mexican culture. These additions grant a depth to Ramón's backstory and show his individuality while highlighting the differences he may encounter in his unfamiliar environment. Perdomo's digital illustrations in vibrant hues pay homage to Ramón's heritage, including the endpapers done in a serape pattern. The drawings appear in a two-dimensional style, but the characters are expressive; El Cucuy's emotive eyes show his vulnerability, making him likable and nonthreatening. This genial story of overcoming one's fears alongside a traditionally feared entity will encourage youngsters to be brave in the face of adversity.

Reviewer: Yesica Hurd | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2021

(2) YA When a solar flare knocks Halley's Comet off course and sends it hurtling toward Earth, a small group of citizens is selected to leave the planet and colonize a new one to ensure humanity's survival. Once onboard, the citizens are put in suspended animation for the four-century journey to the new planet, Sagan. When twelve-year-old Petra Peña wakes up, however, she learns that a cult-like group, The Collective, has taken over the ship, "purging" citizens who fail to comply and erasing all memory of Earth and its diverse inhabitants. As an aspiring storyteller and one of the only people who remembers life before The Collective, Petra must rely on her Mexican storytelling heritage to protect the remaining humans from the fate of living life as Collective drones. She follows in her grandmother's footsteps to become a cuentista, using storytelling to save humanity and remind her companions of the histories that were taken from them. Through The Collective, Higuera chillingly foregrounds seemingly benign attempts to eliminate violence and war via the homogenization of humanity. Through Petra, she effectively showcases how cultural memory, familial bonds, and story are essential to the progression of society, and how cultural difference is indispensable now and in the future.

Reviewer: S. R. Toliver | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2021

(2) 4-6 The only thing standing between Lupe Wong and her chance to meet fellow Chinacan (or is it Mexinese?) Fu Li Hernandez, "the first Asian/Latino pitcher in the major leagues," is an A in PE class. But for seventh graders at Issaquah Middle School, that means square dancing. Lupe, always willing to fight for a cause, is determined to cancel what she sees as both an obstacle and an outdated tradition. Unfortunately, she ends up alienating her two best friends (not to mention the rest of the class) in the process. Now Lupe has to decide which causes are worth fighting for and what she's willing to sacrifice to do the right thing. Ultimately, her efforts both raise awareness of the racist history of the song "Turkey in the Straw" and make room for more than one kind of dancing at Issaquah's first annual Family Celebration of Cultures Night. As Lupe observes, "Some of us aren't even from here. And some of us were right here before this country existed. But none of us are any better than the other." Issues of identity, equity, and inclusion are explored with humor and heart in Higuera's debut, and readers will cheer right along with Lupe's family and friends when she, accompanied by Fu Li, promenades all the way to the pitcher's mound.

Reviewer: Anamaría Anderson | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2020