Speak Up, Santiago!

December 9, 2024
Anta (This Is Our Land) and Mendez (Lo and Behold) charm in this graphic novel series launch that follows middle schooler Santi, who is leaving New York City for the summer to visit his grandmother in idyllic upstate Hillside Valley. What’s supposed to be a fun excursion is overshadowed by his insecurities with his Spanish-speaking skills: though his grandmother is Colombian, he didn’t grow up speaking Spanish. And though he’s been practicing, he’s nervous to put what he’s learned to the test. In Hillside, he befriends local kids who invite him to join their soccer team, learns about the town’s Latin American community, and finds a comfortable rhythm communicating with his abuela, but various incidents challenge his limited understanding of Spanish, causing embarrassment and anxiety to rise. Soon he’s acting out of character and threatening his relationship with Abuela and his new friends. Santi’s thoughts and side-by-side speech bubbles translate the liberal Spanish spoken throughout. Themes of celebrating one’s culture, battling insecurity, and finding self-confidence permeate this vibrantly colorful narrative, a bright start to a promising series. Ages 8–12.

February 1, 2025
Grades 4-8 This first installment of the Hillside Valley graphic novel series focuses on Santiago, a newcomer to a small Latin American community. Despite Santiago's parents intending to raise him bilingual, he didn't start learning Spanish until the fifth grade, and a summer with Abuela Emma seems like the perfect opportunity to improve his fluency and strengthen their bond. But Santiago faces frustration and shame as he struggles to keep up with the fluent adults around him, even sometimes wondering if he is less Colombian because Spanish is not his first language. His struggle is effectively conveyed in the artwork with partially scribbled-out speech bubbles indicating Santiago's confusion. The vibrant, realistic art captures familiar scenes of neighborhood parties, cooking with Abuela, and waking up on Sunday morning to music, and the community features a wide range of Latin American cultures, with characters coming from other countries in Central and South America. A love note to bilingual kids, this story empowers them to feel secure in their identities and the bond of family and community.

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