Can Lety find her voice before it's too late?

Lety Muñoz's first language is Spanish, and she likes to take her time putting her words together. She loves volunteering at the Furry Friends Animal Shelter because the dogs and cats there don't care if she can't always find the right word.

When the shelter needs a volunteer to write animal profiles, Lety jumps at the chance. But grumpy classmate Hunter also wants to write profiles -- so now they have to work as a team. Hunter's not much of a team player, though. He devises a secret competition to decide who will be the official shelter scribe. Whoever helps get their animals adopted the fastest wins. The loser scoops dog food.

Lety reluctantly agrees, but she's worried that if the shelter finds out about the contest, they'll kick her out of the volunteer program. Then she'll never be able to adopt Spike, her favorite dog at the shelter!

Angela Cervantes is a poet, storyteller, and animal lover. Her poetry and short stories have appeared in various publications, and she has written the novels Gaby, Lost and Found and Allie, First at Last. When Angela is not writing, she enjoys hanging out with her husband in Kansas and eating fish tacos every chance she gets. Keep up with Angela at angelacervantes.com.

Praise for Allie, First at Last:

"A sweet middle-grade read that promotes compassion and empathy over competitiveness." -- Kirkus Reviews, starred review

"Laced with Mexican-American language and culture, this realistic drama is filled with gentle humor, big lessons, and even bigger heart." -- Publishers Weekly


Praise for Gaby, Lost and Found:

"A timely, touching and nuanced portrayal of real-life challenges experienced by
children in mixed-status families."-- Kirkus Reviews

"An emotionally compelling story." – School Library Journal