Confetti Girl (2009) by Diana Lopez. 198 pages.ISBN: 978-0-316-02955-1
Americas Award Commended Titles 2010
Lina Flores loves socks, her father and her best friend, Vanessa. Living in Corpus Christi, Texas, she attends sixth grade, plays volleyball and likes science and math. She's trying to make sense of her world since her mother's sudden death. This is made more difficult by her father's escape into his beloved books. Aided by a counselor who encourages her to write a story, Lina grows in her understanding of the world around her.
Lina's father "can't talk without quoting some book or saying some dicho". Dichos entitled each chapter, and more dichos are included, those Lina remembers her mother saying. They hold her mother dear, occasionally showing their grief in the story.
Lina has an sock collection and finds many uses for the single socks. She shares everything with Vanessa, who has issues of her own. Vanessa lives with her divorced mom, who spends her days making cascarones - eggs filled with confetti. Symbolically, the cascarones reflect celebration and fragility.
Both girls develop crushes on boys. Lina is dismayed by Vanessa's constant attention toward her new boyfriend, which at times affects their friendship. Lina sees her boyfriend as special, despite his stuttering and desire to sing in the choir.
This is a charming story filled with Mexican traditions, including Dia de los Muertos and a quincenera and authentically portrays its Latin American characters. Without condensation, the writer addresses serious matters of grief and happiness, struggles with friendships and first boyfriends. Good read, especially for girls, 10 to 12 years old.
Watch and listen Diana Lopez discuss her this book.
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