Yoli's Favorite Things

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Author(s)

Patricia Santana

Publisher

Holiday House

Genre(s)

Age Range

Release Date

September 30, 2025

ISBN

978-0823459483

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Twelve-year-old Yolanda Sahagún, an aspiring nun raised by strict Mexican immigrant parents, likes to envision her family of nine siblings as the von Trapps from her favorite movie, The Sound of Music. But a larger-than-life family isn’t the only thing Yoli has in common with her fictional friends—she, too, is coming of age as war looms large.

In Yoli’s household, rules define everything—especially those about what the Sahagún daughters are old enough to do, like no talking to boys on the phone. But there are no rules on the battlefield, and Yoli is grown enough to understand that her draft-eligible big brother (her favorite brother!) could be killed in the war. Determined to protect him, Yoli makes a pact with God. But what happens if God doesn’t keep his end of the bargain?

Set against a rich historical backdrop of the Vietnam War and the Civil Rights Movement, Patricia Santana’s heartfelt middle grade novel balances weighty themes with warm family dynamics and a captivating voice that’s sure to be a favorite with fans of character-driven historical fiction, as well as contemporary readers who can relate to the challenges of just living their lives when it feels like the world is on fire.

Editor review

1 review

Twelve Going on Thirteen

June 05, 2025 (Updated: June 19, 2026)

Overall rating

4.0

Plot

4.0

Characters

4.0

Writing Style

4.0

Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)

N/A

Yolanda Sahugún is growing up in a close knit family with eight siblings in Palm City, San Diego, in 1967. As summer approaches, her Mamá needs to travel to Mexico to be with her ailing father, and since her Papá does maintenance at a trailer park and must live there during the week, the children, who range from 23 year old Armando to 5 year old Luz, need some supervision. Luckily, Papá's cousin Matilde needs a place to stay, since she has just left the convent. Yoli is intrigued. She loved the movie The Sound of Music, and she and her best friend Lydia made a pact when they were 8 that they would both become nuns and join Our Lady of Angels in Glen Riddle, Pennsylvania. Yoli expects Matilde to be glamorous, like Julie Andrews in the movie, but she is a very plain and sensible woman. She cooks, and takes the girls to school, and slowly shares the story of her vocation with Yoli. Yoli is a little concerned that she finds one of the altar boys at church, Benjamin, to be rather attractive, and when he helps her out at a party, she ends up meeting with him to talk several times. When her favorite older brother Chuy does not manage to secure a letter of recommendation from their priest to support his application to be a conscientious objector during the Vietnam War, Yoli is so worried that he will have to go and fight that she makes a pact with God; if her brother stays at home, she will not only become a nun, but she will be a missionary nun in Vietnam. This means that she tells Benjamin that she can no longer talk to him, and puts a strain on her relationship with Lydia. Her mother comes back home, and Matilde thinks about moving out on her own, since Yoli and her four sisters all share one room, and Yoli has to sleep on the couch when Matilde is there. Eventually, Chuy has to go to basic training, but Yoli hopes that the conflict will be over before Chuy is sent away. This doesn't happen, but with the help of Matilde, neighbors, and family, Yoli learns to persevere and not give up hope when her brother goes away.

Good Points

There are many good details about everyday life in the late 60s; as I suspected, Santana was born in 1955, so would have been a contemporary of Yoli's. From orange juice can hair rollers, to the parents stricter rules for girls, to the clothing described, it's clear that Santana is drawing from here past. While middle grade readers today might not be aware of the movie The Sound of Music, it was a huge cultural influence, and I loved that Yoli had a record of the soundtrack! My father was so fond of this music!

The comparisons between Yoli's California neighborhood and The Sound of Music's alpine setting was quite fun, and it was good to see such strong Catholic representation. I imagine there were many girls during the Vietnam era who made similar pacts, and the details of how Yoli prepared herself for becoming a none were interesting. She was very serious about her plans, even if she ended up not following through. Tia Matilde's story made sense in the era. I almost wanted a little more information about the state of Catholic convents at this time, and how Vatican II in 1965 affected things like the wearing of habits and cloistered communities.

Of course, every middle grade book, no matter what decade the setting, needs some friend drama and a little romance. Benjamin is absolutely delightful; not only does he tell Yoli that she looks nice when she wears a dress to the party instead of less formal clothes, but he helps clean dog poop off her shoe! Later, he saves Almond Joys from his trick or treat bag for her. It's a very sweet romance.

There are not as many books about the Vietnam era as there should be. Many of my students now have grandparents who fought in the conflict. There are even fewer books about the homefront during this time. Considering the fact that there are still a ton of books published each year about World War II, it was nice to see something different. This is a good choice for readers who enjoyed a virtual trip to the 1960s with O'Connor's Until Tomorrow, Mr. Marsworth, Tashjian's For What It's Worth, or Wallace's War and Watermelon.