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Pack Your Bags, Maggie Diaz

ebook
1 of 1 copy available
1 of 1 copy available
This humorous and heartfelt middle-grade novel by Nina Moreno with illustrations by Courtney Lovett is perfect for fans of Celia C. Perez and Terri Libenson.

Spring semester is here and Maggie is killing it! Her grades are up, she's loving outdoor track and field, and being a seventh grader means the awesome spring break trip to St. Augustine is almost here. She can't wait for her first overnight trip away from her overprotective parents, lovesick sister, and busybody abuela. Nothing will get in the way of Maggie having the best time ever with her two best friends, Zoey and Julian!

But all of Maggie's plans for their unforgettable trip start to fall apart as everyone gets carried away with the upcoming dance instead. Even Julian has a crush—throwing their group dynamic into turmoil when he asks the new girl to be his date. Zoey's so stressed with school that her straight A streak is in trouble . . . and why can't Maggie stop thinking about Eerie Eddie? The three best friends have been inseparable for years, but everything is changing as everyone splits into twos leaving Maggie unsure of where—and with who—she still fits.

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  • Reviews

    • Kirkus

      April 15, 2023
      Maggie Diaz is back for the second half of seventh grade, cellphone in hand, ready for more adventures. Set a few months after the first volume, this lighthearted second installment follows Maggie, now nearly 13, as she and best friends Julian and Zoey prepare for their Miami middle school's big spring break trip to Saint Augustine. The spring semester arrival of new classmate Vanessa, who was formerly home-schooled, changes the trio's dynamic, and things get even more awkward when Maggie's recently widowed Abuela decides to be a chaperone for the trip. As friends and classmates begin to experience first crushes, Maggie explores her complicated feelings for her pal Eddie, who now sports earrings and eyeliner. The author packs an emotional punch into this fun middle school dramedy: sibling issues (Maggie continues to feel like she can't compare to her perfect 16-year-old sister, Caro), loss (Abuela and the whole family are mourning Abuelo's death), friendship jealousy, and first love. In addition to the Cuban American Diazes, the multicultural cast includes Haitian, Creole-speaking Zoey and Japanese and Puerto Rican Vanessa. There's positive queer representation as well, since Caro now has a cool girlfriend. The cheerful, evocative spot-art illustrations vividly support the text. This is ideal reading for fans of Meg Medina's Merci Su�rez trilogy and anyone looking for stories about plucky girls with close-knit, multigenerational families. A sweet, amusing tale about navigating friendship and family drama. (Fiction. 10-14)

      COPYRIGHT(2023) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

    • School Library Journal

      June 1, 2023

      Gr 5 Up-Maggie Diaz is determined to make the last semester of her seventh grade year awesome. After a stressful start, her grades are up, and she is starting track. She and her two best friends are looking forward to the overnight field trip that will take them from their home in Miami to Saint Augustine, Florida. After that, they will go to the seventh grade dance, and most importantly, they will spend more time together! Of course nothing turns out exactly as she imagined, but Maggie learns and grows. Many teens will relate to the common challenges of middle school: first crushes, drama with friends, annoying older siblings, and how to deal with it all. Maggie's family is Cuban American, and the Spanish that is used lends authenticity while being incorporated into each passage so brilliantly that non-Spanish speakers can easily understand. Additionally, Lovett and Simone's illustrations elevate the text, giving each page a unique focal point. The illustrations frequently tie the dialogue together in a visually enhancing way. It is a fun read with a lot of tween appeal. VERDICT A good, very diverse, LBGTQIA+ friendly, first choice for libraries serving middle grade readers.-Claire Covington

      Copyright 2023 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Formats

  • Kindle Book
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  • EPUB ebook

Languages

  • English

Levels

  • ATOS Level:4.9
  • Interest Level:4-8(MG)
  • Text Difficulty:3

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