Review Detail

Twelve-year-old Minerva "Minnie" Soledad Miranda has big goals. She wants to be the first Latina president of the United States and she wants to be cast as Wendy in her middle school's production of Peter Pan. The day of auditions, her mother goes missing. Minnie doesn't know what to do. So she tries her best to step in and help her younger sisters. When her mother still doesn't appear, Minnie fears the worse.

What worked: Charming middle-grade tale of a young Latinx girl who gathers the strength within to help her younger sisters after her mother goes missing. A huge plus of this novel has to be the quiet strength of Minnie, who tries to step in and help her sisters.

Magic realism with hints of Peques, Argentinian fairies, sprinkled throughout the story. After her mother's disappearance, mysterious things appear in her house like cupcakes, hidden money, and glitter around offered milk on a plate. Though Minnie brushes these strange occurrences aside, her younger sisters do believe in the fairies gifts.

One huge thing I loved had to be how Minnie stands up and points not only how offensive some parts of Peter Pan are, but looks up ways to bring in changes that are empowering. She also reaches out to others when she needs help.

Sweet diverse tale sprinkled with magic. This story also addresses profiling and racism. Plus, of course, the power of believing not only in stories, but yourself.