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The Other Half of Happy
The Other Half of Happy | Rebecca Balcárcel
1 post | 2 read | 1 to read
Quijana is a girl in pieces. One-half Guatemalan, one-half American: When Quijana's Guatemalan cousins move to town, her dad seems ashamed that she doesn't know more about her family's heritage. One-half crush, one-half buddy: When Quijana meets Zuri and Jayden, she knows she's found true friends. But she can't help the growing feelings she has for Jayden. One-half kid, one-half grown-up: Quijana spends her nights Skyping with her ailing grandma and trying to figure out what's going on with her increasingly hard-to-reach brother. In the course of this immersive and beautifully written novel, Quijana must figure out which parts of herself are most important, and which pieces come together to make her whole. This lyrical debut from Rebecca Balcárcel is a heartfelt poetic portrayal of a girl growing up, fitting in, and learning what it means to belong.
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Tracey3
The Other Half of Happy | Rebecca Balcárcel
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I‘m always looking for good stories to share with my fifth grade students and this is a heavy contender. Quintana is half Guatemalan and half American. She doesn‘t really identify with her Guatemalan roots despite familial encouragement to do so. As she enters middle school, she finds close friends. She is also concerned about her brother‘s unusual behavior. Great novel for cultural diversity, multilingual students, and understanding autism.