Veronica Chambers has “written more than a dozen books for children, most recently Celia Cruz, Queen of Salsa and the body confidence Y/A novel, Plus. Her teen series, Amigas, is a collaboration between Chambers, producer Jane Startz and Jennifer Lopez.”
From Ms. Chambers’ Web site:
“After two years of planning the hottest quineaneras in Miami and beyond, the girls of Amigas Incorporated are facing their biggest challenge yet—high school graduation. While Carmen and Jamie know exactly what they want, Alicia is on the fence. Should she go to the school of her dreams even if it means doing exactly what has always been expected of her? Or should she try something new? With so many decisions to make, Alicia is beginning to feel like choosing a school is like preparing for a quince—without any of the fun. On top of it all, the group has gotten a mysterious request from a young woman who wants to throw the most secret of quinceaneras. The girl wants it to be so secret that she won’t even tell them her name! Now the group must figure out how to throw the perfect party for a perfect stranger, nail the SATs, and figure out if there is anyone at the school willing and capable of taking on their business. Will it all work out? Or will the end of school mean the end of Amigas Incorporated?”
Read this review of AMIGAS from Ari at Reading in Color.
Ms.Chambers’ other works for children include Marisol and Magdalena. From the Scholastic Web site: “Chambers has a wonderful ease with her characters’ language, infusing Marisol’s first-person narrative with the vibrancy of her bilingual cultural background. Spanish words and phrases are an essential part of Marisol’s way of talking, but are presented in context, so that non-Spanish-speaking readers won’t feel lost or left out. Readers will learn about Marisol’s cultural identity along with her, and identify with her thoughts on friendship, her initial worries about her journey, and the triumph she feels as she discovers that she can make even far-off Panama feel like home.”
Educators can check out this
lesson plan from Scholastic for the book.
For more about Veronica Chambers and her work, visit her online!