The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants meets Mexikid in this heart-warming novel with illustrations about four friends and the magical bookstore that holds them together.
Cat, Sofia, Ana, and Mari are best friends. Nothing, nada, can break that special bond they share. And after Cat’s mom chides the girls to quit their loud cackling at the bookstore as they carrying on like a bunch of old chismosas, the name sticks—Cat creates The Chismosas Only Book Club, so the girls can connect to one other, even when their class schedules and club activities rip them apart as high school begins.
But ninth grade is harder than any of the girls predicted, and it seems that no amount of conchas y libros y riendos at Milagros Book Store, founded generations ago by Cat’s great-great-great grandmother, can repair the ever-growing cracks in their friendship. But maybe the spirit of Milagros herself can.
Filled with whimsy and heart, and interspersed with black & white graphic novel chapters, comes a charming, inventive novel that explores the magic of friendship, the enchanted embrace of ancestors, and the power of the stories we share.
And, of course, a wonderful reminder that books—and bookstores—are *~magic~*.
Also available in Spanish, from Vintage Español.
Laekan Zea Kemp is the Pura Belpré Honor-winning author of Somewhere Between Bitter and Sweet, a young adult novel, as well as the picture book A Crown for Corina and numerous other titles for young readers. Her work celebrates Chicane grit, resilience, creativity, and joy while exploring themes of identity and mental health. She lives in Austin, Texas.
View titles by Laekan Zea Kemp
The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants meets Mexikid in this heart-warming novel with illustrations about four friends and the magical bookstore that holds them together.
Cat, Sofia, Ana, and Mari are best friends. Nothing, nada, can break that special bond they share. And after Cat’s mom chides the girls to quit their loud cackling at the bookstore as they carrying on like a bunch of old chismosas, the name sticks—Cat creates The Chismosas Only Book Club, so the girls can connect to one other, even when their class schedules and club activities rip them apart as high school begins.
But ninth grade is harder than any of the girls predicted, and it seems that no amount of conchas y libros y riendos at Milagros Book Store, founded generations ago by Cat’s great-great-great grandmother, can repair the ever-growing cracks in their friendship. But maybe the spirit of Milagros herself can.
Filled with whimsy and heart, and interspersed with black & white graphic novel chapters, comes a charming, inventive novel that explores the magic of friendship, the enchanted embrace of ancestors, and the power of the stories we share.
And, of course, a wonderful reminder that books—and bookstores—are *~magic~*.
Also available in Spanish, from Vintage Español.
Author
Laekan Zea Kemp is the Pura Belpré Honor-winning author of Somewhere Between Bitter and Sweet, a young adult novel, as well as the picture book A Crown for Corina and numerous other titles for young readers. Her work celebrates Chicane grit, resilience, creativity, and joy while exploring themes of identity and mental health. She lives in Austin, Texas.
View titles by Laekan Zea Kemp
