NCW Libraries

"For fans of Donna Barba Higuera's Lupe Wong Won't Dance and Aida Salazar's The Moon Within, comes Mani Semilla Finds Her Quetzal Voice -- a contemporary middle grade novel full of spunk and activist heart. Manuela Mani Semilla wants two things: to get her period, and to thwart her mom's plan of taking her to Guatemala, a place that has always been more of a mystery than an answer. Mani can't imagine leaving behind Las Nerdas, her band of misfit friends,...

"Amateur cryptologist Harley James has just landed in the sticky jungle of Tikal, Guatemala--home to the famous Mayan ruins. She's made a few friends, a few mistakes...and a ground-breaking discovery. The legendary statue of the long-lost Mayan King. Just as she is about to impress her father with her discovery, the statue is stolen. Right from her own room! And what's worse? The legend says if the statues of the three kings are reunited, they'll...

Pulga has his dreams. Chico has his grief. Pequeña has her pride. And these three teens have one another. But, none of them have illusions about the town they've grown up in and the dangers that surround them. Even with the love of family, threats lurk around every corner. And when those threats become all too real, the trio knows they have no choice but to run: from their country, from their families, from their beloved home. Crossing from Guatemala...

Ixchel wants to follow in the long tradition of weaving on backstrap looms, just as her mother, grandmother, and most Mayan women have done for more than two thousand years but there is not enough extra thread for Ixchel to practice with. As she walks around her village, Ixchel finds it littered with colorful plastic bags. Suddenly, Ixchel has an idea! She collects and washes the plastic bags. Then she cuts each bag into thin strips. Sitting at her...