The Reel Wish

Méndez (The Trouble with Sunshine) examines the toll that participating in elite dance has on one child’s friendships and mental health in this emotionally raw and honest offering. Eleven-year-old Latina ballerina Florencia is ecstatic upon securing the lead role in the Utah Valley Junior Ballet’s production of The Nutcracker. But when, on opening night, she experiences a panic attack on stage, her best friend Selena, who is also Latina, steps in to continue the performance and Flor is expelled from the dance company. Feeling unmoored, Flor contends with drastic changes to her daily routine and the end of her lifelong friendship with Selena, brought about by Flor’s own feelings of inadequacy and Selena’s sudden mean-girl bullying. When Flor learns about a new form of dance, however, she realizes that she can seek joy and friendship outside of ballet. Via unflinching prose, Méndez showcases how the cruel, sometimes racist bullying that Flor experiences impacts her existing anxiety, and the steps she takes to better her own circumstances. Depictions of supportive caregivers and earnest friendships serve to elevate this story of a tween persevering under pressure. Spanish-language edition publishing simultaneously. Ages 8–12. Agent: Linda Camacho, Gallt & Zacker Literary. (Apr.)