by Meg Medina
First published 2018
Mia feels uncertain when Abuela moves into her bedroom. Her grandmother speaks Spanish while Mia speaks English. Abuela misses her old home where colorful parrots nested in mango trees outside her windows. Now she lives in the city, far from the tropical sounds and sights she knew. Mia watches her grandmother's sadness and wants to help but doesn't know how to bridge the language gap between them. The two must find ways to understand each other without sharing words. Through small gestures, shared activities, and patient attempts at communication, Mia and her grandmother slowly build a connection. Their growing bond shows how family love transcends language barriers and how different generations can learn from each other.
Genres: fiction, family-life, contemporary
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, found-family
Setting: City, Tropical
Period: Contemporary
Paperback · Live Oak Media (NY)