Rising star Kat Fajardo's debut middle-grade graphic novel about a girl who would rather do anything other than celebrate her quinceanera! A funny and heartfelt coming-of-age story about navigating the expectations of family and cultural tradition.

Sue just wants to spend the summer reading and making comics at sleepaway camp with her friends, but instead she gets stuck going to Honduras to visit relatives with her parents and two sisters. They live way out in the country, which means no texting, no cable, and no Internet! The trip takes a turn for the worse when Sue's mother announces that they'll be having a surprise quinceanera for Sue, which is the last thing she wants. She can't imagine wearing a big, floofy, colorful dress! What is Sue going to do? And how will she survive all this "quality" time with her rambunctious family?

Miss Quinces/Srta. Quinces is the first graphic novel published by Scholastic/Graphix to be simultaneously released in English and Spanish editions!

Kat Fajardo is a Honduran Colombian award-winning cartoonist and illustrator from the lively and magical place of Loisaida, New York City. They are the creator of Miss Quinces, which was a National Indie Bestseller, received two starred reviews, and was selected as a summer reading pick by Entertainment Weekly, Publishers Weekly, The Horn Book, and the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. It was the first Graphix title to be simultaneously published in English and Spanish (as Srta. Quinces). They are a graduate of the School of Visual Arts, and their work has been recognized by online publications such as Remezcla, El Hispanic News, School Library Journal, Huffington Post Latino Voices, and more. Kat loves to create playful and colorful work about self-acceptance and Latine culture. When they aren't making comics, you might find them collecting small junk for scrapbooking, listening to spooky podcasts, or chasing after their sock-stealing pups, Mac and Roni. Kat lives in Austin, Texas. Visit them online at katfajardo.com.

Booklist Reviews

Fifteen-year-old Sue is not looking forward to going to Honduras this summer with her family. She would rather be with her friends at Camp Willow, canoeing and hiking. Expecting to spend her time in Honduras bored or with her nose in a manga, she is horrified to find out that her mother had secretly been planning to surprise her with a grand quinceañera, against her wishes. What starts off as her worst nightmare for Sue, who hates being under the spotlight and is self-conscious about her Spanish, then becomes a summer where Sue learns to embrace her culture on her own terms. Fajardo's colorful artwork is lively, full of emotion, and done in a style that will appeal to fans of Raina Telgemeier and Jen Wang. Miss Quinces is a bittersweet coming-of-age story that teaches young readers that there can be a balance between accepting themselves for who they are while also cherishing their multigenerational family traditions. Grades 5-8. Copyright 2022 Booklist Reviews.

Horn Book Guide Reviews

All Sue (Suyapa Yisel to her family) Gutierrez wants to do this summer is hang out with her Comics Club buddies at Camp Willow. But her overprotective mom has planned a family trip to Honduras to see Abuelita Rita and celebrate Sue's quinceanera -- a party she never asked for and would rather skip. Feeling doomed to a boring and uninspiring summer, Sue finds that spending time with her abuelita, an artist herself, is anything but dull. Rita's consejos -- advice, wisdom, and family stories -- help Sue gain a new closeness to her family and learn to cherish cultural traditions. With the coming-of-age ceremony, she resolves to be braver and embrace [her] true colors, adapting the longstanding tradition in a way that lets it remain relevant to her own life. Fajardo's deft graphic-novel paneling and expressive use of line and Azzi's color palette of cool blues and pinks convey the complexity and full range of Sue's feelings, both in important moments and in more mundane ones. An author's note, additional information about quinceaneras, and photographs are appended. Copyright 2023 Horn Book Guide Reviews.

Horn Book Magazine Reviews

All Sue (Suyapa Yisel to her family) Gutierrez wants to do this summer is hang out with her Comics Club buddies at Camp Willow. But her overprotective mom has planned a family trip to Honduras to see Abuelita Rita and celebrate Sue's quinceanera -- a party she never asked for and would rather skip. Feeling doomed to a boring and uninspiring summer, Sue finds that spending time with her abuelita, an artist herself, is anything but dull. Rita's consejos -- advice, wisdom, and family stories -- help Sue gain a new closeness to her family and learn to cherish cultural traditions. With the coming-of-age ceremony, she resolves to "be braver and embrace [her] true colors," adapting the longstanding tradition in a way that lets it remain relevant to her own life. Fajardo's deft graphic-novel paneling and expressive use of line and Azzi's color palette of cool blues and pinks convey the complexity and full range of Sue's feelings, both in important moments and in more mundane ones. An author's note, additional information about quinceaneras, and photographs are appended. Lettycia Terrones May/June 2022 p.143 Copyright 2022 Horn Book Magazine Reviews.