Starred Review for Kirkus Reviews (Fri Sep 16 00:00:00 CDT 2022)

In many ways, Jade is a typical middle schooler.She loves running and art and is working hard to make friends at her new Catholic school after a move to Atlanta from Chicago for her mom's new job as a CNN anchorwoman. In a magical departure from the expected, Jade discovers a jaguar living in the woods behind her home who takes the shape of Itztli, an amiable elder who shares with her art and incredible oral history reaching back to Mesoamerican civilizations just when she needs it the most. Jade is astounded to find that the challenges that Itztli describes in his stories mirror the difficulties she herself is facing in 2001, from getting her first period to making a home in a new place. Jade's maternal heritage is Mexican, and her dad has Irish ancestry; Jade's light skin, blond hair, and green eyes bring intricacy to her Latina experience, especially since her sister's complexion is darker. The novel explores themes of identity, friendship, crushes, loss, and looking for answers to life's toughest questions in sumptuous detail. A coming-of-age story with parallels to Judy Blume's classic Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret., this work captures the complexities of being a tween girl seeking to find her place in the world and connections to ancestors through a Latine cultural lens.A thoughtful, richly woven tapestry illuminating the pains and joys of growing up. (research notes) (Fiction. 10-14)

ALA Booklist (Wed Nov 30 00:00:00 CST 2022)

Thirteen-year-old Jade is starting school in a new city. She misses Chicago, where her friends and abuela are, but she is happy to have made her new friend, Chloe, in Atlanta. To get to her school, Jade takes a woodsy path filled with big trees and beautiful greenery. From the beginning she feels a connection to the woods, like something is calling her, watching her. Soon after she meets Itztli, an older man who can turn into a jaguar. Itztli is a storyteller who passes on to Jade many stories of his ancestors from Mexico. What is her connection to him, and could it have something to do with the old mirror that was given to her by her mother? This title is a reminder to hold the stories of family and culture near and dear to our hearts before they are lost to the world. The magic realism and tie-in to Latino folklore create a wonderful coming-of-age story about a girl who's exploring who she is while discovering the power of stories through art.

Horn Book (Thu Oct 03 00:00:00 CDT 2024)

In this novel set in 2001, Jade's family has recently moved to Atlanta thanks to her journalist mom's new job. Their new house is bigger (no more sharing a room!), and there is a nice backyard with a path into the forest. But Jade had to leave behind her best friends and her abuela in Chicago, and to make matters worse, Abuela soon suffers a stroke. Amid all these changes, Jade doesn't find it too strange when during a walk in the forest she meets Itztli, a mysterious old man who also appears in the shape of a jaguar, and who invites Jade to listen to his story, a story that connects him to her family and her Mexican ancestors. The third-person narration flows naturally, sticking closely to the authentic point of view of a middle-school girl as she faces the challenges of growing up during a turbulent time. The novel is deepened through Mendez's characterization of Jade's family as rich in cultural traditions and strong relationships and by the presence of magical elements and stories of the Mexica and other Indigenous cultures. "A Note on Research" provides further reading.

Kirkus Reviews (Fri Oct 04 00:00:00 CDT 2024)

In many ways, Jade is a typical middle schooler.She loves running and art and is working hard to make friends at her new Catholic school after a move to Atlanta from Chicago for her mom's new job as a CNN anchorwoman. In a magical departure from the expected, Jade discovers a jaguar living in the woods behind her home who takes the shape of Itztli, an amiable elder who shares with her art and incredible oral history reaching back to Mesoamerican civilizations just when she needs it the most. Jade is astounded to find that the challenges that Itztli describes in his stories mirror the difficulties she herself is facing in 2001, from getting her first period to making a home in a new place. Jade's maternal heritage is Mexican, and her dad has Irish ancestry; Jade's light skin, blond hair, and green eyes bring intricacy to her Latina experience, especially since her sister's complexion is darker. The novel explores themes of identity, friendship, crushes, loss, and looking for answers to life's toughest questions in sumptuous detail. A coming-of-age story with parallels to Judy Blume's classic Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret., this work captures the complexities of being a tween girl seeking to find her place in the world and connections to ancestors through a Latine cultural lens.A thoughtful, richly woven tapestry illuminating the pains and joys of growing up. (research notes) (Fiction. 10-14)

School Library Journal (Thu Sep 01 00:00:00 CDT 2022)

Gr 6–9 —After her mom is offered a big opportunity with CNN, Jade, her parents, and her little sister, Katerina, make the move from Chicago to Atlanta, leaving behind home and everything Jade loved about it. Entering eighth grade, Jade starts a new school and begins to make new friends while also taking on the responsibility of walking Katerina to and from school on a beautiful wooded path behind their home. It is on this path that Jade meets Itztli, who first appears as a jaguar and then as an elderly man, who shares stories of their shared Mexican ancestry. These tales inspire Jade to rediscover where she is from and share her own stories through her art. She grows more confident in herself while struggling with her abuela's illness, the tragedy of September 11, and the changed world it brought. With lush language and and excellent structure, this novel captures the beauty of family, stories, changes—many magical—that come with growing up. Also worked into the narrative are the usual pangs of adolescence, such as friendships, crushes, and—makeup. VERDICT Taking readers back to 2001, this debut novel of magical realism presents an exquisite exploration of Mexican storytelling and a girl's coming-of-age as she learns to trust herself and find her way through her family's history. —Selenia Paz