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Creepy upper-MG adventure based on La Llorona. Paola is science-minded and space-obsessed. Her friendship with Dante is changing, both because he‘s hanging with the soccer team and because of boy-girl awareness. When third musketeer Emma disappears, they must save her. Enter chupacabras, Mano Pachanos, and all sorts of creepy creatures. I look forward to the next installment.

My Mother‘s Day gift was a couple hours to shop by myself at the bookstore (and the antique store, where I got this amazing hat). The two puzzle books will be gifts for my own mom. It was so pleasant to be able to shop without one eye on my toddler at all times! Happy Mother‘s Day to all the other moms out there!

Unfortunately, I didn't LOVE this like I was hoping I would. There were just several parts where I had a hard time not mentally wandering off. 3.5/5

Paola sticks to the facts, especially the more her mother lights her candles and tells Paola the stories of their culture. But when Paola‘s friend disappears and her dreams become stronger, she bravely sets out to find her friend - and question everything she‘s known.

The middle shelf here is my MG TBR for the year (always evolving, naturally, and never emptying), so for #MGMarch I‘ll be chipping away at them. I have most of the Rick Riordan Presents series to try to get some more #OwnVoices in my reading. Plus I just adore mythology. I also have another full bookcase plus two more in kiddo‘s room to pull from, and there‘s always the library! No lack of options here.

A fun #audiobook listen on my #workfromhome lunchbreaks. I kind of wish Stephen King‘s The Outsider had been as specific as this book about its folklore or avoided it altogether. Pao is a fantastic character - flawed and trying to learn and grow. Her relationship with Dante made this book read more YA than middle grade at times.

#audiostitching #week2 New Year‘s Resolution status: so far, so good

3/5 🌟
This book was a lot different than I expected. Although I loved the idea for about childhood stories being real, there were some things that brought my rating down. It‘s nicely written, but I felt it was a bit too long. The first half was very slow, and I almost DNF. However, if you stick with it, the second half is great. Also, it reads more like a YA novel than a middle grade. But it‘s a good transition book.
#readtheusa2020 #arizona

I expected a different experience with this book so I was a little let down. However, it's still an enjoyable read for young readers.

Paola Santiago is a 12 yr old who likes things that are real and proven by science. She doesn‘t believe in the stories her mother tells her about La Llorona to keep her away from the river. Then one night her world is turned upside down.
This middle school age book was a first for me but I had to read it because I also grew up in the same stories that Paola has. It was really well written and brought back so many childhood memories for me.
4⭐️s

A great middle grade from the author of We Set the Dark on Fire about the legendary of La Llorona and a girl who believes in science, not ghosts, who is thrust into the world of the supernatural when her friend goes missing. A really fun read full of adventure.

4 stars / ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Let go. Just let it go. All those negative thoughts. What had been and how things will be. That is what I took away from Paulo‘s story. That and never ever give up when you set your mind to helping those you care about. I did enjoy the character growth and connections through the story, though the action and discovering adventure was more low key. Just like the horror of a mother doing anything for her child. #riordanpresents

But Pao realized now, not without some guilt and shame, that she‘s been too close minded. Scientists had to be open to all kinds of possibilities. Who‘d have thought, for example, that algae could be a source of fuel? In fact, what major scientific breakthrough hadn‘t involved a little faith in something previously believed to be impossible? #RiordanPresents

Paola "Pao" Santiago is the heroine in a novel with a new take on the legend of La Llorana, a weeping ghost who drowned her own children, and now wanders the river banks looking for them. Add to the story that she may grab any stray kids she comes across on their own and take them to their watery grave, and you have the makings of one lady it would be best to avoid. Pao's adventure begins when her best friend Emma goes missing near the river.

Alright. So right away we get Pao‘s taught to fear the riverbed. Though she stays hard in science can explain everything. She blames her mother‘s use of tarot cards and magic candles use of spirits to why the police don‘t take her seriously. I like these three amigos and their dynamic, especially with how they‘re friends. They‘re each relatable in their own way; Pao for me and her zoning out on random stuff. #RiordanPresents

Thanks to partner NetGalley for the digital ARC of Tehlor Kay Mejia‘s Paola Santiago and the River of Tears in exchange for an honest review. The book will be published on Tuesday, August 4, 2020.⠀
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Do you like books that mix fantasy and reality?⠀
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Paola Santiago is obsessed with the mysteries of the world: how humans can use algae to reduce fossil fuel use, what it's really like in space, ⬇️

So RR Presents has not chosen a bad book yet which makes me really excited for their newest title.

Out August 4
#CoverLove @MGedition

Scientists had to be open to all kinds of possibilities. ... In fact, what major scientific breakthrough HADN'T involved a little faith in something previously believed to be impossible?

Full review on Goodreads

4.5/5

Highlights:
Paola would be a great role model for other STEM Girls.
Pao is very relatable as she is dealing with everyday struggles on top of the supernatural ones and doesn't have any of the "Chosen One" abilities. Shes a normal girl just doing her best.
Book touches on racism and immigration. However Immigration part is pretty vague.
#DisneyPublishing #Netgalley #RiordanPresents

Gosh, I loved this so much! Tehlor Kay Mejia blends Mexican folklore with fantasy, friendship, middle school weirdness, and a dash of horror and serves up a truly excellent middle grade book. I can‘t wait for this to come out so I can put it in my students‘ hands. #LibrariansOfLitsy

On the hype train! I love Tehlor Kay Mejia and am so psyched to read her middle grade!

I cannot BELIEVE what I got handed at #PLA this week. I might have screamed on the convention floor. 😍

#ARC #RRpresents #readIMMEDIETLY #litsyloveslibraries #jobperks