Good Reads

Favors have become an essential element of weddings, parties, and celebrations. Many people choose to make their favors even if they do not usually craft, since these little thank-you gifts are the perfect place to add a personal, creative touch to an event. "Favors with Flair" offers 75 favor designs as original as they are stylish. The projects use a variety of papers, embellishments, and other craft and party supplies. With 75 choices, there is something for everyone: romantic favors for weddings and anniversaries, imaginative designs for milestone events like baby showers and graduations, fun designs for theme parties, and joyful favors for holiday gatherings. Whimsical or elegant, thoughtful or playful, these are special favors for the special occasions of life. ...More

Is she the girl next door . . . or a Mayan "sorceress"? "Chasing the Jaguar" introduces Martika Glvez, the Latina Nancy Drew of the new millennium. ...More

In this touching debut novel, Estrella Alvarez is about to turn 15, and there's nothing her meddling mother and T'a Lucky want more than to throw her a gaudy "quinceañera"--a party that Estrella would rather avoid. Young Adult. ...More

For ten-year-old Ariana's Mexican-American family, a quinceanera is more than just a birthday party; it is also a rite of passage, a religious occasion, and a celebration of heritage. In this photo essay, Ariana helps her 15-year-old cousin Cynthia prepare for the occasion. ...More

Marisol has returned from Panama, and she and Magdalena make plans to celebrate their 15th birthdays. But Marisol's mother doesn't know if she can afford a party, and Magdalena became friends with two girls Marisol cannot stand while Marisol was away. Marisol wonders if her year in Panama changed her. ...More

CCBC Choices - 2004
The 2001 winner of the Delacorte Press Prize for a First Young Adult Novel tells the story of a girl who while preparing for her 15th year celebration--her "quince"--probes into her Cuban roots and unwittingly unleashes a hotbed of conflicted feelings about Cuba within her family. ...More

One of the most beautiful and significant rituals in the Latino community, the 'quinceañera' is a special birthday party, an all-day cultural event that begins a Latina's passage into womanhood at age 15. This handsome volume is the first book specially designed to help mothers, daughters, and grandmothers plan and create a 'quinces' that will rival any fairy tale. color photo insert. ...More

Taina's turning fifteen-and is so dreading her Pepto-pink quinceañera, her Sweet Fifteen.What about her secret Jamaican artist boyfriend? Should she let "Mami" choose her escort, or follow her heart-and ignite a family riot?
Grachi must choose between being the good Chicana-and grabbing "la oportunidad de la vida," Now she needs her Sister Chicas more than ever...
Leni's the rebel-with a punk style and an attitude to go with it. But as she tries to make sense of her roots with her Chicas, her life gets more complicated, especially when her childhood friend turns into a handsome rockero...
And even though Taina, Grachi, and Leni don't always agree on things-like boys, clothes, and music-nothing gets in the way of their friendship. ...More

Winner - 2006 Pura Belpré Award - Narrative
Tayshas Reading List 2006-2007
Sofia comes from a family of storytellers. When she's singled out to receive a scholarship to boarding school, she longs to explore life beyond the barrio, even though it means leaving her family to navigate a strange world of rich, privileged kids. ...More