The Other Half of Happy

Handpicked by Amazon kids' books editor, Seira Wilson, for Prime Book Box – a children's subscription that inspires a love of reading.  This immersive, award-winning novel following the story of Quijana, a girl in pieces, is now available in paperback. One-half Guatemalan, one-half American: When Quijana's Guatemalan cousins move to town, her dad seems ashamed that she doesn't know more about her family's heritage. One-half crush, one-half buddy: When Quijana meets Zuri and Jayden, she knows she's found true friends. But she can't help the growing feelings she has for Jayden. One-half kid, one-half grown-up: Quijana spends her nights Skyping with her ailing grandma and trying to figure out what's going on with her increasingly hard-to-reach brother. Quijana must figure out which parts of herself are most important, and which pieces come together to make her whole. This is a heartfelt poetic portrayal of a girl growing up, fitting in, and learning what it means to belong. • Lyrical middle grade debut from author Rebecca Balcárcel • A diverse and family-centered story that resonates with anyone who remembers, or is going through, growing pains • Inclusively embraces real life experiences with biracial, autistic, and gay characters • 2020 Pura Belpré Honor Book • A Junior Library Guild Selection • ALSC Notable Children's Book • 2020 Jean Flynn Award for Best Middle Grade Book • 2020 Spirit of Texas Reading Program Recommended Title Perfect for: • Tweens and teens • Bilingual and bicultural readers • Parents • Educators