Sister Chicas

February 1, 2006
Three different women--Alvarado, Ann Hagman Cardinal, and Jane Alberdeston Coralin--each writing about a different character, authored this story of contemporary young Latinas who, despite their differences, have become fiercely devoted friends. Graciela, whose parents were professors in Mexico and factory workers in the U.S., yearns to be a writer; Taina, dressed in prim outfits, struggles to appease her strict Puerto Rican mother; Leni, who loves to photograph fans at punk clubs, lives with her Anglo mother and envies her gorgeous Puerto Rican cousins. All three met while working on the newspaper at their Chicago high school, and as their friendship deepens, they help each other through the turbulence of first love, Quinceaneras, and new opportunities that force them to redefine their relationships with their parents and each other. The chapters don't always knit together smoothly, but the vividly detailed portraits of contemporary teen girls, and their questions about family, guys, or what it means to be a Latina are bright and captivating. Buy copies for both the adult and teen sections, since this is sure to be a crossover.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2006, American Library Association.)