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reformadeflorida Book Reviews

“These vengeful wishes” Vanessa Valdes

These vengeful wishes

Zando Young Readers (Zando). To be published February 4, 2025.

Reviewed by Alma Ramos-McDermott

Category: High School (Young Adult)

Rating: 5 stars

Senior year was supposed to be the beginning of Ceci’s plan to get away from her mother’s constant failed marriages in pursuit of money. All she’d ever wanted was her love and attention, but her mother was more interested in money and men. After her husband was arrested, they were penniless and forced to return to the small town where her mom had grown up. There they would live in an ancient mansion that once belonged to the Sevilla family, the same family who town lore said La Segua, a wronged witch who could grant wishes, had cursed so no one ever lived long.

Due to her mom’s coldness towards her Ceci spent her life closed off to emotions. However Jaime, a cute boy she met soon after her arrival, seemed to bring out the best in her. Soon Ceci started to hear voices and began sleepwalking to the dark, haunted woods alongside the property but didn’t know what was happening. Jaime believed in her and, together, they uncovered a secret, hidden place in the woods where they met La Segua. Knowing wishes could change her life for the better Ceci began to ask La Segua for things, but darkness and destruction followed as her wishes began to come true.

It didn’t take long for the same darkness to stalk Ceci’s every move and for a voice from beyond the grave to call to her. With La Segua filling her mind with ancient memories and experiences, and events coming to their unnatural conclusions, it will take true love to save Ceci from the forces of evil conspiring against her.

I loved this book and was hooked from its first pages. I know my teen readers will be too.

Highly recommended for ages 16 and older.

Note: This review was originally posted in You Decide: Should I read it or not?

Reproduced here as a courtesy to Alma Ramos-McDermott.

reformadeflorida Book Reviews

“Mamá’s magnificent dancing plantitas” Jesús Trejo; illustrated by Eliza Kinkz

Little Jesús #2.

Minerva (Astra Books for Young Readers). 2024

Reviewed by Alma Ramos-McDermott

Category: Elementary school

Rating: 5 stars

Full-page, colorful, childlike illustrations fill every page as little Jesús recounts his happiness at being appointed caretaker of his mother’s beloved collection of plants. From the spider plant’s “bajillion legs” to the “baseball-mitt chair” of her peace lilies, all hold special places in his imagination.

Unfortunately, little Jesús’ happiness is short lived when he finds his mother’s favorite plant looking ill, throws it a dance party, and accidentally breaks its pot. Despite his fears, Jesús tells his mother and learns that breaking the plantita is a good thing.

This sequel to “Papá’s magical water-jug clock,” which won Trejo the 2024 Pura Belpré Author Honor Award and awarded Kinkz an Illustrator Honor, is funny and delightful. Kinkz’s illustrations light up the pages, bringing Little Jesús’ adventures to life. Trejo’s comedic style is interwoven in his memories, while illustrations of seed packets with titles like “Goldfish muerto seeds,” (showing a dead goldfish), “Magical bean seeds” (shown farting), and “Seed seeds” (with one asking “what was the point?) are sure to bring laughs to his young readers.

Recommended for ages 5-10.

Note: This review was originally posted in You Decide: Should I read it or not?

Reproduced here as a courtesy to Alma Ramos-McDermott.

reformadeflorida Chapter News

Delivery of Book Donation Grant titles to Lafe Allen Memorial Library

Saturday August 24, 2024

Former ReDeFL President Alicia K. Long drove down to North Miami from Tampa to personally deliver 100-200 Latinx children’s and YA titles to Edenia M. Hernandez at Lafe Allen Memorial Library in North Miami. Edenia is the 2024 winner of REFORMA de Florida’s Pura Belpré Book Donation Grant.

Alicia, along with ReDeFL’s current Vice-President/President-Elect Lucia Gonzalez, presented a delighted Edenia with the titles. More information about the presentation will be in our September newsletter. Congratulations to Edenia and the Lafe Allen Memorial Library!

reformadeflorida Chapter News

Announcement of REFORMA de Florida’s 2024 Pura Belpré Book Donation Grant winner

REFORMA de Florida is excited to announce the winner of the 2024 REFORMA de Florida Pura Belpré Book Donation Grant, which aims to bring books created by Latinx authors and illustrators portraying the Latino cultural experience into the lives of children.

Congratulations to:

● Lafe Allen Memorial Library / Edenia M. Hernandez – North Miami Beach, FL


The winning submission was selected based on why the collection was needed by the institution and its community, how acquiring the collection would help the institution better serve the children and youth of their community, and the effectiveness of the institution’s plan to make the materials available in their community. Blind judging was instituted by Selection Committee members.

The Lafe Allen Memorial Library will receive 100-200 Latinx YA and children’s books to support the Latino cultural experience in the lives of children.

REFORMA de Florida thanks the 2024 Pura Belpré Book Donation Grant Selection Committee:

● Lucia M. Gonzalez: Vice-President/President-Elect of REFORMA de Florida; Library Consultant; Former Director of the North Miami Public Library.
● Isabel Castro: Treasurer of REFORMA de Florida, Assistant Director of the West Orange Public Library in West Orange, New Jersey.
● Alma Ramos-McDermott: Secretary of REFORMA de Florida, 5th-grade teacher at Avalon Elementary in Naples, Florida; Former School Librarian.


We thank everyone who applied for REFORMA de Florida’s 2024 Pura Belpré Book Donation Grant.

REFORMA de Florida is a chapter of REFORMA National. REFORMA is committed to supporting programming for Latino and Spanish-speaking communities. Through our Pura Belpré Book Donation Grant, we aim to support the Latino cultural experience in the lives of Florida’s children.

¡Felicidades a nuestra ganadora!

reformadeflorida Book Reviews

“One last chance to live” Francisco X. Stork

Scholastic Press (Scholastic). 305 p. To be published September 3, 2024.

Reviewed by Alma Ramos-McDermott

Category: High school

Rating: 5 stars

Seventeen-year-old Nico has been in love with his neighbor Rosario since they were little. Though both loved to write and wanted to be famous, Rosario was obsessed. She needed writing to be her ticket away from their neighborhood. Since her future was all planned out Nico couldn’t understand why Rosario was later found dead from an overdose, so became preoccupied with finding out why she committed suicide.

As he struggled to figure out a strange dream he had about his own death, Nico’s pain was interrupted by the news his mother was very ill and his little brother was joining a local gang. Though he’s not interested in anything not having to do with Rosario, Nico must climb out of the hole he’s dug for himself or allow his dream to come true.

Told through Nico’s memories and the present time, his story of unrequited love, heartache, suicide, and death is complicated and messy. Stork left a few unexplained issues, which gives his teen readers opportunities to discuss solutions amongst themselves or in a book club.

Note: This review was originally posted in You decide: Should I read it or not?

Reproduced here as a courtesy of Alma Ramos-McDermott.

reformadeflorida Chapter News

REFORMA de FL at Miami Book Fair 2023

Miami, FL November 2023

REFORMA de FL President, Maria Vega, and Immediate Past President, Mari Martinez, joined the Miami Book Fair on Sunday, November 19, 2023 to moderate a panel with authors and illustrators of middle grade fantasy and spooky book for middle grades. titled: “Through the Looking Glass: Adventures in Alternate Universes” with authors Ryan Calejo, Angela Cervantes, Monica Magaña, and Justine Pucella Winans.

reformadeflorida Book Reviews

Book review: Jasmine is haunted

“Jasmine is haunted” Mark Oshiro. Starscape (Tom Doherty Associates/Tor Publishing Group.) To be published October 1, 2024.

Reviewed by Alma Ramos-McDermott

Category: Middle school

Rating: 5 stars

Twelve-year-old Jasmine has been haunted since she was eight, the year her father died. For four years, she and her mom moved from place to place as ghost noises became too much for the neighbors. In the beginning, her mom used to listen to her fears about the ghost but now her mom won’t talk about it. Jasmine kept her fears and feelings bottled up, never able to make friends, as they never seemed to settle down.

A month into 8th grade Jasmine starts another new school, where she meets Bea and Jorge in the school’s GSA club. She soon finds out Bea is a ghost hunter, and Jorge tags along trying to get over his fear of ghosts. Together, they offer to help her find out why a ghost has been haunting her and why. Jasmine is fearful of ridicule, but soon gains acceptance and finds herself with friends for the first time in years.

As the trio work together Jasmine finds herself dealing with more than one ghost as they’re noisily invading her home and school, breaking and throwing things. It isn’t until her mother relents and calls her aunt to step in to help them that Jasmine finally learns her family history and the reason ghosts are attracted to her. Jasmin is haunted, but the past holds the key to her present.

From its first pages, middle grade readers will be engrossed in Jasmine’s dilemma as its realistic characters engage, entertain, and educate.

Recommended for ages 12-15.

Note: This review was originally posted in You decide: Should I read it or not?

Reproduced here as a courtesy of Alma Ramos-McDermott.

reformadeflorida Chapter News

See you at the Miami Book Fair!

Grab your biggest bags because you’re going to need them! It’s that time of the year where we all meet at the Miami Book Fair (MBF). We’ll shop through the Street Fair, we’ll eat delicious food, we’ll enjoy amazing music, and we’ll meet incredible authors! Are you ready for all of these literacy and culture galore!!!???

This Fall membership social will be at the MBF on Sunday, November 19th. Details of the meeting time and location will be shared with members via email. You can connect with us via reformafl@gmail.com.

That Sunday, November 19th at 3:00 PM, REFORMA de FL’s president, Maria Vega and immediate past president, Mari Martinez Serrano will be moderating a middle-grade chapter book panel titled: “Through the Looking Glass: Adventures in Alternate Universes” with authors Ryan Calejo, Angela Cervantes, Monica Magaña, and Justine Pucella Winans.

We hope to see you there!

A special thank you to our partners: