Estrella's Quinceaera
By Malin Alegria
(Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers, Hardcover, 9780689878091, 272pp.)
Publication Date: March 21, 2006
Other Editions of This Title: Paperback
Categories: Family - Multigenerational, Holidays & Celebrations - Other, Nonreligious, Social Issues - Friendship
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Estrella Alvarez is turning fifteen, and she's not happy about it. For as long as she can remember, her mother has been planning an elaborate quinceañera, complete with a mariachi band, cheesy decorations, and a hideous dress. Estrella is so over it. She'd much rather have an understated dinner party at a posh restaurant downtown -- that way, she can invite her two best friends from private school, who have no idea Estrella lives in the barrio. Even though Estrella tries to keep her home life a secret from her school friends, things get even more complicated when she falls for Speedy, a cholo whom her new friends -- and her parents -- would definitely disapprove of.
Caught between her family's wishes and the allure of her sophisticated friends, Estrella is forced to make some tough choices. This funny, touching book follows one girl's struggle to figure out who she really wants to be.
Malín Alegría is the author of Estrella's Quinceañera. She is an accomplished educator, dancer, and actress who has cowritten and performed in several stage plays. Ms. Alegría lives in San Francisco.
In 2006, Malin Alegria's debut novel was unique in the world of young adult fiction: It followed a Mexican-American girl through a quintessential coming-of-age experience � the quinceanera. Today, Alegria's book is still celebrated in Latino communities � and publishers are starting to pay attention. More at NPR.org
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