Written in verse, this marvelous middle grade story brings the beauty and heart ache of moving somewhere new and trying to make it feel like home. Isabel has spent years in The Philippines living with her grandparents until her mother finally can send her to the US to reunite. Isabel feels lost in California until she manages to think of ways to bring bits of her home in The Philippines to her life in the US.

I love Isabel and her mom. I love every time Isabel talks about her Lolo and Lola, her grandparents. The author captures what it is like to feel like an outsider trying to make sense of it all. Isabel's thoughts comparing her new life to the one she left behind is full of longing for The Philippines, especially the white jasmine, sampaguita. There are so many emotions in this book, so be prepared.

This book is beautiful! Let me tell you the 5 reasons why I think so!!

1️⃣ Gardening
2️⃣ Family Dynamics
3️⃣ Finding your place in the world
4️⃣ Friendships
5️⃣ Written in poetic verse

I’m so glad I had the opportunity to read Isabel in Bloom by @maerespiciobooks It’s stunning writing will take you on Isabel’s journey as she navigated life after moving to America from the Philippines. The relationship she has with her mother leans on heartbreaking but the community that surrounds her keeps her close to her culture. I definitely recommend!

Welcome to my stop on the @tbrbeyondtours Book Tour for Isabel in Bloom! Thank you to @randomhousekids for the #gifted copy! You can read the full review that includes ideas for teaching at my blog Cocoa With Books (link in bio).

Fitting in. Remembering home. Engaging with community. healing family relationships. This is what Isabel in Bloom by Mae Respicio embraces. This is a beautiful and positive novel-in-verse that will engage you and possibly inspire you to engage in your own community.

(Also, I’m a gardener, so I fell in love with the cover as soon as I saw it! It even inspired me to try a few new flowers in my garden!)

Isabel is from the Philippines, but her mother migrated to the United States before her to find employment. Isabel lives with her grandparents in the Philippines until her mother has established herself enough to bring her over to the United States. The story begins in the Philippines and transitions to California in the United States with Isabel’s big move to reunite with her mother.

She holds onto her memories of gardening and cooking with her grandparents, Lolo and Lola. This is what leads her to join the cooking club and to start the gardening club at her new school. She finds a connection to home with one of the trees that is actually native to the Philippines. This inspires her to clean up her school’s old garden, especially after she hears that the elders in the community used to enjoy it.

I loved the positivity in this story. A big move and reunification with a mother she rarely got to see is a tough situation for a 12 year old. But she is surrounded by loving, encouraging and positive characters from the people she is staying with in California to her teacher to the friends she makes at school. While there are conflicts that Isabel has to deal with, the community in her life outweighs them.

Isabel In Bloom is a well-crafted novel in verse that vividly portrays Isabel's thoughts and emotions as she leaves the Philippines and moves to San Francisco to live with her mother. Her mother moved to the US several years prior to work as a nanny so she could support their family back in the Philippines.

Respicio's book skillfully combines a collection of poems that delve into the difficulties of immigrating to a new country, leaving everything that feels familiar behind - home, friends, food, and garden. However, through generational storytelling, Isabel learns about the experiences of her extended family members who previously immigrated to the US. She realizes that unexpected challenges can bring new opportunities. Her resilience helps her start afresh, make new friends, and establish new roots.

Once again, I paired the audio and physical book. Denise Cabanela narrated Isabel's story beautifully, and I loved hearing the proper pronunciation of Filipino names, foods, and customs.

Isabel In Bloom Is a perfect fit for Poetry Month! Don’t miss the author's note as she explains her process for writing a NIV book and how her poetry garden took shape. She creates thoughtful prompts that encourage writing your own poetry. Perfect for teachers or a parent-middle grader buddy read.

I really loved this book. As a Filipina, I could relate to so much of the protagonist. Middle school can be difficult, so finding a support system (a caring teacher, friends who encourage you) helps young people thrive. I loved Isabel’s determination. She’s such a wonderful character.
The verse writing is something I can see my students trying out on their own. They can play with structure, diction, mood, and tone. It will be fun to incorporate this text in the classroom.
Thank you for the ARC!

"Goodbyes taste like tart calamansi from Lolo’s tree round, small, and green that Lola’s slicing and squeezing into drinks."

Isabel's mother has moved abroad to the US in search of better opportunities and to provide for her family. For years, Isabel longs for her, awaiting the packages in the mail from her, yearning for the physical presence. Finally, she joins her mother in San Francisco, and has to learn a new culture, a new life, and longs for the familiarity of her old life in the Philippines.

"Lola knew people from our town who had left, but she said she wished it was easier in her country for people to stay."

This book is touching; it reminds you of the sacrifice it takes to pick up and move. To leave your homeland, and everything and everyone dear to you in order to create a better future. In a world where many resent immigrants for moving in and taking what they think is theirs, it helps to read books like these to gain more empathy and understanding that quite often, if given a choice... people would love to thrive and succeed in the lands they were born in.

🌱Step into the vibrant world of “Isabel in Bloom” by Mae Respicio.

A delightful tale bursting with heart, humor, and life lessons that every kid and grown-up needs to hear!

Join Isabel as she navigates the ups and downs of being in San Francisco while reconnecting with her roots from the Philippines.

From the struggles of adjusting to a new country, new city, and new school to finding her place in a gardening and cooking club, Isabel's journey is both heartwarming and inspiring.✨

———————————————————————

“I’ve found my place
I’ve spread my roots
And now
I turn my face
to the sun
and I
bloom.”

Isabel's story is filled with moments that will make you laugh, cry, and cheer her on every step of the way.

Mae Respicio captures the essence of growth and resilience in a way that will leave readers feeling uplifted and empowered.

Plus, with valuable lessons about friendship, and the power of finding joy in the little things, this book is not only perfect for kids but also a fantastic addition to any homeschool curriculum!

🌷So grab your gardening gloves and let Isabel's adventures inspire you to bloom wherever life plants you!

Thank you for the gifted book!

Isabel is planning on leaving her home in the Philippines to join her mother who left several years ago to go work in the US. She’s worried about not fitting in, leaving her beloved home and family, and starting a new life with her mother. When she gets to San Francisco, there’s a lot of apprehension about her new surroundings. Isabel isn’t sure if she will make any friends but then her love of gardens helps her be able to grow and learn how to build roots no matter where she ends up living.

I loved this story so much. There's so much to relate to and even if you personally can't the messages about friendship are universal. This book takes place in the glorious age of teen magazines in the 90s and as someone who grew up during that time period, the story brought back so many memories. I love all the 90s references to thought it did make me feel ancient because kids who read these books are going to think this is a historical fiction book!

This book was written as a novel in verse. If you’re never read this kind of format before, it can be a bit different to get used to it. In this past, I have had trouble reading novels in verse and thus missed out on some really great books. However, once I learned to just accept the flow of the words and not harp too much on the way it was written, the story flows naturally and you almost forget that it’s not in prose. To be honest, I was so caught up in what was going on that I really didn’t realize the style of how it was written (other than the design of some of the words). I then very much appreciated the author’s note in the back explaining the different styles of poetry she used and how there is also a cultural background to it as well.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
Isabel in Bloom stands out even among the books-in-verse I’ve read in being a solid combination of both experimentation with poetic forms and having an ongoing narrative interweaving all the poems. I loved how different verses would be written in acrostic style, or haiku, or even palindrome, alongside the “typical” free-verse style I’m more used to, not to mention an indigenous Filipino style called tanaga. These different styles added a lot of character to the narrative, while also educating newbies to poetry and verse about the flexibility of the genre.
The story at the heart of it is also really interesting, following Isabel as she moves from the Philippines where she was living with her grandparents to live in the U.S. with her mom. The story chronicles her day to day life as she learns typical lessons young people learn about respect for one’s elders, culture, and heritage, trying new things, and coming into your own. Definitely recommended for all ages.

Five years ago, Isabel’s mother left for America to start a life for them. Since then, 12-year-old Isabel has lived in the Philippines with her jasmine-growing grandparents. She barely remembers her mom, only seeing her on rare occasions. When her mom is finally able to bring her over, Isabel joins her mom in San Francisco. When she arrives, her mom is always busy, and everything is new to Isabel. She has trouble fitting in and misses gardening with her family. When her school decides to start a gardening and cooking club, she jumps at the chance to enjoy what she loves. Can Isabel find a way to fit in? Will she make new friends?

The plot is endearing, and the author sprinkles Filipino culture and history throughout the text. The characters are easy to relate to and draw the reader into this novel in verse. The poems are well done and help bring the story to life. Readers who like novels in verse, being the new kid, or realistic fiction will want to pick this one up. Recommended for library collections where such books are popular. Grades 3-7.

Please note: This was a review copy given to us by NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. No financial compensation was received.

I sent this message to two of best friends yesterday:
"Filipino books are so emotional for me. 😭"

Allow me to explain.

I am a second-generation immigrant. My mom immigrated to the United States from the Philippines in April of 1987. I was born a year and a half later.

Growing up, my mom didn't really teach me about our culture. Here and there I would get snippets. I grew up with a Filipino community. Titas. Rosary parties. Filipino food. Shoes piled outside the door with sounds of laughter and my Tito singing karaoke. Tagalog being spoken around me. Watching my mom packing balikbayan boxes...

But I always felt like I kind of existed in those spaces, no one really took the time to teach me about our culture.

Instead, my mom said/did things that made me feel like we needed to ensure we were "American enough" (hilarious because as I grew older she would say I was too "Americanized" like it was a curse word).

How does this relate to Isabel in Bloom?

In a note "About Writing the Book," Mae Respicio notes "the complexities of mother-daughter relationships."

I battle such a resentment towards my mom for not teaching me anything, but I also understand her position and how she must have felt being here all alone...

I see this battle in Isabel where she teeters from resenting her mom to understanding her mom.

In this beautiful middle grade book written in verse, we follow 12-year-old Isabel as she leaves her home in the Philippines to join her mom (who has been living in the states for the past 5 years) in California.

Filipino books like Isabel in Bloom are so emotional for me because I stop to Google "Jasmine Sampaguita," the national flower of the Philippines or ask my Filipino bestie what "manang" means... And I get so heartbroken that I don't know simple things such as these... But at the same time, I'm so thankful books like this exist. I cry seeing myself and my family represented within the pages - this means so much to a girl who always felt like that my culture was something to be hidden, rather than celebrated and taught. This is healing. This is a Filipino diaspora story. 💕

I was absolutely delighted by this book in prose. Isabel is a lovable and earnest middle schooler who is just trying to fit in in her new home. With a variety of word arrangements and a storyline that moves naturally, yet swiftly, this is a fun and quick read for students of all ages.

✨ Review ✨ Isabel in Bloom by Mae Respicio

Thanks to Random House Children's, Wendy Lamb Books, TBR and Beyond Tours and #netgalley for the gifted advanced copy/ies of this book!

This novel-in-verse by Isabel in Bloom is everything I wanted it to be. The book follows Isabel, a 12-year-old who moves from the Philippines to San Francisco to be with her mom after they'd been separated for several years while her mom worked as a nanny in NYC.

Isabel moves through a lot of the feelings of a kid not only immigrating but starting at a new school, being reunited with a parent, and adjusting to being in a new country. She had helped her grandparents plant and harvest flowers to sell in the Philippines. Isabel seeks to find the familiar around her in food and plants, and eventually she works to create a garden at her school to celebrate these connections.

The book is really fulfilling to read as she begins to find points of connection with family, friends and the world around her. I loved the San Francisco setting, and the way she carved out a space for herself via school clubs and her baking and gardening. The book also showed a Filipino intergenerational connection and respect that seemed very true to Filipino culture and I really enjoyed how that played out in this book. Kudos to Respicio on creating such a beautiful story of migration, family, and friendship as Isabel grows and blooms!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Genre: novel-in-verse, middle grades
Setting: San Francisco, Philippines
Reminds me of: Kelly Yang's Front Desk
Pub Date: April 9, 2024

Playlist:
1. Katy Perry - Daisies
2. Ruth B. - Dandelion
3. Dua Lipa - Garden
4. Carly Rae Jepsen - Roses
5. Marina - Orange Trees

My thanks for the ARC goes to NetGalley and Random House Children's, Wendy Lamb Books. I'm voluntarily leaving a review.

Genre: Children's Literature, Immigrant Literature, General Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Family Fiction
Age Level: Middle-grade, age 7-12 (Seriously, someone older can enjoy this too!)
Format: Novel in verse, poetry
Representation: Multiple nationalities, Gay parents for a side character

Isabel is moving at one of the hardest times—she's 12. And she's not just moving to a different city but across the world to a different country. Can you even imagine the pressure to fit in?

Her cousins are not exactly comforting as they give her advice. And the kids at school aren't always friendly. So what is Isabel to do? She keeps looking for that which is familiar in her new home. Added to all that pressure, the family her mom nannied for is calling. And Mom has a secret that she's not sharing.

My heart went out to Isabel as she tried to figure out how to bloom in San Fransisco.

I thought this book was fabulous. It hits on so many fears that young kids face in addition to highlighting challenges for first generation immigrants. (And how second and third generations might react too.) It is such an authentic book. There is a moment when Isabel gets a "history" lesson on immigration from a relative—this small portion felt a bit forced as an excuse to give the information to the reader. That is a small, couple of paragraphs though. So please, don't let that stop you from picking up this book.

Kindness matters. That is the main theme of the book to me.

I hope you enjoy it.

Happy reading!

Isabel in Bloom by Mae Respicio is a moving novel in verse that describes the experiences of Isabel, who leaves her familiar life with her grandparents in the Philippines to reunite with her mom in California. The transition to life in the United States is challenging. She must rebuild her relationship with her mom as she finds her way in her new home. Isabel finds that drawing on the things that brought her comfort in the Philippines—baking and gardening—help her to make connections and find belonging in an unfamiliar place. Information about Filipino history and culture is seamlessly woven through the narrative, adding depth to the story and providing insight into Isabel’s experiences. The variety of poems used by the author add interest to the narrative. This is a wonderful middle grade novel with much to offer readers, both those who have experienced situations like Isabel’s and those who are interested in a window int the experiences of others.

Isabel lives in the Philippines with her Lola and Lolo (grandparents). Her mother has moved to America for a better life to support her family. Isabel’s mom hopes that one day, Isabel will be able to move to America and have a great life with more opportunities.

For now, Isabel is happy with her grandparents, her friends, and her grandparents’ garden that has jasmine. She wishes she could see her mom more, but the packages she gets from America will have to do for now.

One day, Isabel’s life is turned upside down because she is moving to America. She is leaving her grandparents and best friends. She knows that the kids in America don’t look like her or eat the same food as her. She thought her and her mom would be heading to America together, but sadly, to save money, Isabel travels to America alone.

How does Isabel adjust to the American lifestyle? Is she able to find America as her new home? How is it living with her mom since it has been quite some time that they’ve lived together?

I absolutely loved this book and while I never moved when I was little, this book definitely does a great job portraying how difficult it is for Isabel and understanding the feelings that she feels. The poetry is beautifully written and even if you aren’t into poetry, when you read this book, you don’t even realize that you’re reading poetry because you just want to read more and make sure Isabel is okay.

What an absolutely beautiful middle grade read! Here are My Top 5 Reasons to Read Isabel in Bloom:

It is told in such a unique and beautiful way - poetic verses.
Change is difficult and this book shares the journey of moving to the United States from the Philippines.
Finding the beauty and goodness in difficult times.
It captures beautiful so many emotions that children face, loneliness and isolation and allows room to empathize and connect with the character to work through it.
An appreciation of the Filipino culture and the experience of people immigrating to a new country.

Review is posted on Goodreads and will be posted on Instagram April 8th for scheduled book tour with TBR and Beyond.

The way Isabel takes the initiative in finding a place to belong after arriving in the United States makes for an inspiring read. Flying to meet her mother in the U.S. by herself pushes Isabel into a world that is unfamiliar. Luckily she has her mother and other relatives and Native Filipinos to help her settle into her new home. Having not seen her mother much in the last five years, Isabel's uncertainty about her mother is completely understandable. The struggles she has adjusting to a new place, a new language, inspired empathy from me as I read. The use of free verse poetry allows Isabel's feelings to manifest themselves front and center. The symbolism to be found in the use of headings for the sections of the book works beautifully as Isabel finds a way to bloom in her new 'soil'. It's delightful the way Isabel uses her talents, interests, and knowledge to make a place for herself both at school and with her mother. Not only is this a fabulous immigrant story but also a great story about activism and stepping up to make the change you want to see. Isabel makes a great character, realistic and likeable. This book highlights the power to be found in novels-in-verse and what makes it such a great storytelling form.

This is a story told through the main character's POV about her journey immigrating from The Philippines to the US to reunite with her mom. This story is uniquely told through poems and does a good job of introducing different types of poetry to the readers. There is even a section at the back explains the different types of poetry and gives writing prompts. I really enjoyed this story and felt that the characters would be very relatable to middle grades readers. I highly recommend this book.

I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

A beautiful novel-in-verse that explores the disorienting transition of immigrating to the US from another country—in this case, moving from the Philippines to San Francisco. Fast paced and engaging, with diverse characters.

I devoured this book in a single sitting.