Cruzita and the Mariacheros

A Mexican American seventh grader’s dream leads to her embracing her heritage with vigor in Granillo’s tender debut. In Pacomina, Calif., Cruzita Tayahua aspires to become a singer. Her plans to enter a singing contest—and hopefully win the prize money—go awry when her beloved great-uncle Chuy dies, leaving the Tayahuas scrambling to keep their family-owned bakery afloat. To curb Cruzita’s upset surrounding her parents’ inability to take her to the contest and the neglect she feels over their increased workload, her grandmother gives her an old family violin and enrolls her in mariachi lessons, hoping that Cruzita can find comfort through her love of music. But Cruzita worries that her not speaking Spanish will result in ridicule from fellow bandmates (“I never feel like I’m Mexican enough”). As she makes new friends and learns to embrace Latin music, however, she devises a way to win the contest and help save the bakery. Granillo gently tempers the Tayahuas’ grief over Tio Chuy’s death by focusing on the characters’ lighthearted developing relationships and relates the feeling of being disconnected from one’s heritage via Cruzita’s learning more about her roots. An author’s note concludes. Ages 11–14. Agent: Hannah Andrade, Bradford Literary. (Apr.)