Publisher's Hardcover ©2018 | -- |
Cousins. Juvenile fiction.
Hispanic American families. Juvenile fiction.
Practical jokes. Juvenile fiction.
Bullying. Juvenile fiction.
Cousins. Fiction.
Hispanic Americans. Fiction.
Family life. Fiction.
Practical jokes. Fiction.
Bullying. Fiction.
Luna is a spunky and tenacious fifth-grader who has the worst case of cousin rivalry you've ever read. First, she doesn't get picked to be in a different cousin's quinceañera audia gets chosen. Then she finds out the exasperating Claudia is being transferred to her school. And then she ends up in her very classroom, after which she tattles to Luna's mom about everything Luna does wrong. But after Luna discovers that Claudia is being teased because of the size of her nose, Luna must decide whether or not to defend her. Luna is a great character for young readers who feel like they can't catch a break or maybe don't fit in all the time. López (Ask My Mood Ring How I Feel, 2013) offers a sweetly poignant novel about learning to love your family. Yes, Luna does things her way d sometimes gets in trouble for it t her heart is in the right place. A good multicultural addition to any library or classroom.
Horn Book (Mon Apr 01 00:00:00 CDT 2019)Luna Ramos's many primas (cousins) annoy her, but especially prissy Claudia. When she locks Claudia in a bathroom at a family quinceaqera, Luna is banned from wearing hats, which she uses to cover an embarrassing white patch in her hair. To make matters worse, Claudia is transferring to Luna's school. The accessible, relatable, and humorous story relays messages of loyalty and self-acceptance.
Kirkus ReviewsFrom the day she was born, 10-year-old Texan Luna Ramos has never been without a hat—or without cousins. The hats cover a white swath of hair, poliosis, which her family believes was caused by a lunar eclipse. But after Luna locks her prima—and nemesis—Claudia in the restroom during another cousin's quinceañera celebration, Luna's mom prohibits the use of any hats for a month. This compassionless maternal edict doesn't result in the dread readers might expect from self-conscious Luna; instead she appears more inconvenienced than traumatized. "I hate being singled out. Do I have to deal with this for a whole month?" The roots of bossy Luna and tattletale Claudia's mutual hostility are, disappointingly, never satisfactorily divulged. Complicating their toxic relationship is the fact that Claudia has just been transferred to Luna's school and the plethora of primas weaving in and out of the narrative. They continuously contribute misinformation via what Luna calls the "Chisme Channel." Gossip is the coin of the land, and the feud doesn't lack for cash. Readers may have a hard time warming up to Luna. Her first-person, not-particularly-reliable narrative may have readers wishing they could spend some time out of her head—perhaps in Claudia's and in Luna's levelheaded Filipina-American best friend Mabel's, as well. The Mexican Spanish phrases and slang sprinkled throughout do add some pop.Not up to par with López's (Nothing up My Sleeve, 2016, etc.) previous titles. (Fiction. 8-12)
School Library Journal (Fri Jun 01 00:00:00 CDT 2018)Gr 4-6 The only lucky thing that has ever happened to Luna Ramos is having Mabel as a best friend. Luna has just found out that her cousin Claudia will be attending her school, and will even be in the same class. With so many other primas, why did she have to get stuck with Claudia, who cannot mind her own business and is always getting her in trouble both at school and at home? It's bad enough that Luna is struggling in Spanish class and is now forbidden from wearing her adorable collection of hats to school for locking Claudia in the bathroom at her cousin Mirasol's quinceañera. Now all the kids will see her white hair due to poliosis and call her a skunk! When Luna turns to her primas and abuela for advice, she ends up getting it all wrong and getting deeper into trouble. Lopez depicts a modern-day Latina who embraces her culture even if she is still learning about it and doesn't speak Spanish. VERDICT Readers will find themselves chuckling at the situations Luna gets herself into and smiling at a satisfying ending. Martha Rico, El Paso ISD, TX
ALA Booklist (Mon Oct 01 00:00:00 CDT 2018)
Horn Book (Mon Apr 01 00:00:00 CDT 2019)
Kirkus Reviews
School Library Journal (Fri Jun 01 00:00:00 CDT 2018)
Eventually, Luna discovers that Claudia was not being teased after all. Every joke Luna heard was actually directed at her! Luckily, Claudia comes to her rescue, standing up for Luna by telling the other kids to leave her alone. That's when Luna realizes the true meaning of her grandmother's wise advice -- "blood is thicker than water." She and Claudia may not like each other, but they are still primas. And it's the job of primas to stand up for each other.
Excerpted from Lucky Luna by Diana Lopez
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