Truth in Sight

July 1, 2016

Gr 2-5-Cici is adjusting to her parents' divorce and her newly acquired fairy magic. She spends her weekends at her dad's house with her younger sister, Sofia, who cries the entire time, and her days at school lonely after having a falling out with her best friend. Cici gets to know Kendra, the daughter of the man her mother is seeing. Resentful because she believes that Kendra's life is perfect, Cici plays a mean trick on the other girl, distorting the features on Kendra's beloved doll. This alters Kendra's appearance in a way that only Cici and other fairies can see, which leads the protagonist to believe that it isn't causing any lasting harm. When Cici's grandmother discovers the magical misdeeds, she uses the moment to teach the girl an important lesson about her magic. The themes of divorce, friendship, and the implications of magic will resonate with kids. Spanish language is peppered throughout the text, and the vibrant cartoon illustrations give readers insight into the characters' inner lives. VERDICT Fans of Ashley Spires's "Binky" books and Victoria Jamieson's new series "Pets on the Loose!" will be ready to tackle this next. A wonderful addition to a must-have series.-Samantha Lumetta, Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County, OH

Copyright 2016 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

June 15, 2016
A fledgling Latina fairy learns she must use her magic responsibly.Quintessential preteen Cici is trying to make sense of a turbulent time in her life: her dad has moved out, she's lost her best friend to the popular clique, and she's learning to control her nascent fairy powers. She has the "fairy sight," which means she sees people with a sort of enhanced vision that helps her understand them (for example, she sees her harried mother as a multitasking octopus). One day at school she finds popular white classmate Kendra's beloved princess doll (fairy sight reveals Kendra to be something of a princess as well). Cici, seizing the opportunity to use her powers, chooses to wield them in an unkind way. When Abuela, also a fairy, finds out what she has done, Cici must own up to her wrongdoings. The plot--a friendship-tinged riff on the "with great power comes great responsibility" theme--is instantly familiar, even with the fantasy elements. Doused liberally with a comely array of warm pinks and purples, the panels have a keen focus on facial elements and hold a high visual appeal. Though this series outing doesn't explore its issues with much real depth, the pleasing style and familiar subject matter help to compensate, leaving this with a very episodic, sitcomlike feel. A likable protagonist and fantasy elements make this well-trod ground feel fairly fresh. (Graphic fantasy. 7-12)

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September 15, 2016
Grades 2-4 Cici has a lot to learn: how to adjust to her parents' divorce and shuttle between two households, how to make friends, how to be a better big sister, and how to use her newly discovered fairy powers. Seeing how easily popular girl Kendra can make friends makes Cici envious, and when she finds Kendra's lost doll, she gives in to her feelings and makes some mean changes to the doll that cause Kendra to change in the same way. Only Cici and others with fairy powers can see those changes, but when Cici's Abuela, another fairy, sees what Cici has done, she warns that the changes could become permanent and everyone would then see them. The art lets the readers see people as Cici sees them with her fairy powers. The mean, popular girls look like giant chickens, her baby sister looks like a turtle, her mom has octopus arms, her father is a bear. Cici, her mom, and Abuela are Latina, and Abuela uses occasional Spanish words and phrases.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)