Marcus Vega Doesn't Speak Spanish

June 1, 2018

Gr 4-7-This middle grade story, set in Pennsylvania and Puerto Rico, pulls together important themes of family, identity, bilingualism, friends, and bullying. Marcus Vega navigates his six-foot-tall, 180-pound frame through middle school while also caring for his younger sibling, Charlie, who has Down Syndrome. Because of his large size, some of his peers consider him to be a monster, or even a bully. When a real bully uses the "R" word in reference to Charlie, Marcus punches him in the jaw. This begins a series of events in which he is expelled from school before spring break, causing his mother to take the boys to Puerto Rico where they are introduced to their father's extended family for the first time. Marcus decides to locate his long-absent father and over the course of five days, readers travel the island with him as he is introduced to its rich flora and fauna, foods, community life, music, and friendliness. Marcus eventually comes to terms with his life challenges, including his own identity. VERDICT An excellent choice for upper elementary and middle grade libraries given its multiple, age-appropriate themes and the window it provides to life in a Puerto Rico before Hurricane María.-Ruth Quiroa, National Louis University, Lisle, IL

Copyright 2018 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

In searching for his absentee father, a biracial boy gets closer to his Puerto Rican roots.Though Marcus Vega was born in Puerto Rico, the 14-year-old hasn't been back since he was 2. Marcus lives outside of Philadelphia with his mom, a white woman, and his little brother, Charlie, who has Down syndrome. Marcus towers over the other kids, and he uses his size to his advantage, walking kids to and from school and stashing their phones in his locker (out of the principal's reach) for cash. After a school bully calls Charlie "the one word that sends [him] into a blind rage," Marcus punches him in the mouth and is suspended. Marcus' mom decides that the three of them should go on a trip to regroup, which is how they find themselves in Puerto Rico looking for the dad Marcus hasn't seen in 10 years, a search that takes them and readers all over the island. Immigrant and first-generation readers will relate to Marcus' feelings of not belonging in Puerto Rico. Marcus' eagerness to reconnect with the father who abandoned him is believably naïve and allows him to overlook his relatives' criticisms of his dad, but both they and Cartaya allow him the space to come to his own conclusions. Readers familiar with Puerto Rico may find Marcus' extended family's ease with English a little hard to believe, but it does assist with the narrative flow.A compelling read about the meaning of family, identity, and culture, set in pre-Hurricane Maria Puerto Rico. (Historical fiction. 10-14)

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July 9, 2018
In Springfield, Pa., Marcus, a six-foot tall, 180-pound, mustache-sporting 14-year-old, exploits his appearance to run a bullying protection business, secretly contributing his earnings to his single mom’s cash jar. When a conniving school bully calls Marcus’s brother, Charlie, who has Down syndrome, the “R” word, Marcus gets suspended for punching him. In an effort to “spend time together as a team,” Marcus’s mother takes the boys to visit their absent father’s relatives in vibrant pre-Hurricane Maria Puerto Rico. Cartaya (The Epic Fail of Arturo Zamora) poignantly sketches Marcus’s desire to meet his father (“How do you start an email to a father you haven’t seen in ten years?”), and clues about his dad’s mercurial, irresponsible character build to a devastating realization. The loneliness of the family’s Pennsylvania life contrasts starkly with the community they find in Puerto Rico; the events spark for Marcus a new understanding of his overworked mother and appreciation for his family and heritage, offering hope for deeper connections going forward. Ages 10–up. Agent: Jess Regel, Foundry Literary + Media.