Cruzita is going to be a pop star, but she needs her family’s troubles to get out of her way. She needs to go to her favorite theme park so she can enter the singing contest, but her Tio Chuy died recently, making her family need to pay more attention to the bakery he loved. Along with having to learn how to roll tortillas, she’s forced to take mariachi lessons even though she doesn’t know how to play violin and isn’t good at Spanish. As Cruz starts to make friends, she learns how to connect to her heritage and her culture.

The actual plot can sometimes be a little weak. Some of her changes seem to happen suddenly, and occasionally that abruptness takes away from the immersion. How has Cruz not noticed certain behaviors about her friend until now? Why does the contest move so quickly? But those plot questions aren’t supposed to be a primary part of the book, so I didn’t notice them until after reading it. The highlight is Cruz’s struggle with her identity.

This book is heartfelt and emotional. Cruz deals with wanting her own dreams and the needs of her family, and as a result, she’s sometimes selfish and short-sighted. Her big challenge is trying to figure out who she is with her heritage. Her family is Mexican, but she struggles with Spanish and making the treats her family does at the bakery. Her friends who don’t share her heritage don’t see those things as important, and she sometimes feels like her family’s insistence on honoring their culture is holding her back. Cruz is sometimes selfish and doesn’t care about how her actions affect others, which may be frustrating for some readers — but at the same time, it’s something many kids will go through. She is nuanced and relatable, even if she isn’t always likable.

I loved the author’s personal note at the back of the book, talking about her own struggles to identify with a culture as being Mexican American. She says there, “Even as I began to learn more about Mexican culture, some of my family members were not so inviting. They called me hurtful names and told me that my experiences with Mexican American culture were inauthentic. That because I never learned as a child, I could never learn as an adult. And I almost stopped writing this novel because I felt unworthy. I still didn’t feel like I belonged in my own big Mexican family. But I wanted that last summer with my grandparents. So I continued to write the novel anyway. Cruzita helped heal a lot of trauma I’d experienced. She helped me find my way back home again, to my grandparents, to my culture, and to the town that started my love for books—Pacoima. No one can take away who you are, not even your family. You are free to learn about yourself for years after you’ve “grown up.”Because the truth is, hijitos, we never stop growing. And you deserve to know every part of yourself. It may take some time to understand how all the parts fit into one person, but when you find yourself, you will love every bit of your journey even more.”

The author captures those feelings and her experiences in this book. It feels personal because it is personal for her. While not everything about the book is executed well, the difficulty of navigating how you belong in a culture comes across with flying colors. And as a result, this is the kind of story I hope to see more of in the future.

Thank you to #NetGalley, Ashley Granillo and the publisher of the book for the eARC copy in exchange for an honest review.

Cruzita loves to sing and wants to be a popstar! She wants to enter a singing contest at her favorite theme park. Unfortunately that will not happen this summer. After the death of her great uncle, her family's bakery is struggling and she needs to help out there. The only music Cruzita gets this summer is learning mariachi, which she does not like. She can't play the violin, let alone speak Spanish! Will Cruzita learn to like mariachi? Will she understand it's importance to her family?

A great middle great read of music and doing what brings you joy. I think many kids will be able to relate to this book especially with parents not always being supportive of their children's dreams and talents.

This was a really sweet story of Cruzita who learns to connect more with her heritage after she works at the failing family bakery. After the death of her great-uncle who had the passion for their panderia, Cruzita finds herself working with her family to learn the old recipes. Cruzita sees it as a chore, especially when her grandmother enrolls her in mariachi classes but as she makes friends, she starts to connect more with her heritage.
This was a beautiful story touching about grief, family and feeling disconnected with your culture. This is a beautiful story for anyone who is the child of immigrants and even grandchildren of them because of how Cruzita learns to appreciate her grandmother and family.

This book was a gem, and I really look forward to middle-grade and even young adults reading this book. It highlighted the ways in which family pressures, cultural heritage, and one's own dreams and aspirations all weigh heavily on individuals. It was extremely heartfelt with capturing Cruzita's turmoil of not feeling "Mexican enough" and the way she can overcome this all to be fully, authentically herself. This is a must-read for any adults working with middle- or high-schoolers who are struggling with their identity and culture/heritage. I highly recommend this to middle- and high-school students as well as it captured the experience beautifully.

This book fills a necessary space that is missing for middle grade. Cruzita is a fully-fleshed out representation of many children who live in the liminal space between American culture and the culture of your family. This is a wonderful story that provides a sense of hope, longing, and love.

This had everything that I was hoping for from the description, I enjoyed the children’s fiction element perfectly. I enjoyed getting to know Cruzita in this book and how she felt like a real person. Ashley Granillo has a great writing style and I was invested in what was happening.

This is a wonderful book. It really captures the culture and atmosphere of a panaderia and mariachi. I love the strong themes of friendship and family bonds. I would use this in my classroom.

Middle grader Cruzita Tayahua resents having to work in her Mexican American family's failing bakery. Her grandmother signs her up for mariachi music lessons to lessen the sting. At first she dreads them but soon they bring her joy and a found place in her family's culture. A lovely MG tale!

I received a digital ARC through NetGalley to review this book, which will be published April 2, 2024. This is my unbiased review!

Learning a language is a vulnerable act. To explain yourself, to describe your world, and lay out your life in words that may not feel like they are yours is an act of courage. Depending on who we are and where we come from, the burden varies. Many come to the USA and are expected to speak English perfectly, or are assumed unintelligent if not, despite possessing a world of knowledge and experience in their mother tongue. My own struggles as a second language learner pale in comparison.

I began learning Spanish in high school and my journey was guided by a desire to better serve possible future students and their families. My ability to speak the language ebbs and flows, inhibited by the lack of opportunities I currently have to practice, but every minute I spent learning was worth it when I was able to teach a young violinist in Spanish. He learned to play Las Mañanitas that semester, and now attends an arts magnet school.

These days, my focus is on yet another language: Italian. My girlfriend is Italian, and that is her first language. I dream of speaking to her and her family in fluent Italian one day, but the last time I visited, they accommodated for me with the English they knew instead. So, language is survival, language is culture, and language is love.

I learned about what being a “no sabo kid” means from my Mexican-American friends. It’s a moniker that places the blame of disconnect from culture on the kids themselves, as if they chose to be deprived of that connection. Cruzita has her own journey, guided by love, to form a stronger relationship with the Spanish language and the music of her culture. She struggles with remembering the right words and with pronunciation, and is made to feel less than for it, so it’s no wonder she wants to do her own thing! But when the right people come into her life, her dreams evolve, and she finds her way (and helps her family in the process).

At times, “Cruzita and the Mariacheros” strays a bit from my expectations of a traditional story arc, specifically with regards to the components and the pacing. It felt a bit like it started after the beginning of the story, and changes in Cruzita’s attitude often felt sudden. But I’m a young adult accustomed to reading adult and young adult literature, so I’m aware middle grade works may be constructed differently to suit the audience, and their protagonists may (and should) act like kids! In the end, I requested this novel because I saw a violinist in a traje de charro on the cover and was reminded of the mariachi classes I observed and assisted in during my student teaching semester in the fall. I had a great time trying out each of the instruments on the days I would sit in, and I still miss my orchestra students dearly. Cruzita’s story allowed me to return to that world for a moment, and I’m glad I had that chance.

Fantastic story of a young girl learning to fight for what she wants…. even if that means changing her mind about what she thought she wanted. Young readers will cheer for Cruzita. Highly recommend.

I really adored this book! I love the story, the writing, and the magically feeling it gave me. This book gives me such a warm, loved feeling and I’m excited for kids to read it!!

It is extremely difficult to carve out a space in the ever-growing pantheon of realistic fiction for middle grade. Yet Cruzita and the Mariacheros demands a space on shelves. She is the character for all who feel caught between cultures. Ashley Granillo put so much of herself into Cruzita, and the dedication truly shows.

I truly loved reading Cruzita's journey, and I think middle grade readers will relate to her. She dreams big and fails big too, and she constantly faces a battle between duty and dreaming. Her love of music, her desire to fit in, and her grief are all things any reader can recognize and grasp. Yet most importantly, her inner turmoil over her culture is poignant. For any kid who doesn't feel culturally "enough," she feels like a friend. Her struggles with Spanish and with finding her place within la banda (especially among those who have embraced Mexican culture their entire lives) will help kids learn to feel confident in themselves. Which, let's be honest, is one of the best things a book can do.

I will say that while Cruz is relatable, there are many times where she isn't very likable. Her selfishness is over the top, and she has no concept of how her actions affect others. Middle grade readers will likely get frustrated with her, but it is an important lesson for readers that not all characters will be likable. The nuances of Cruzita are important. I only wish the same nuances extended to the villains (particularly their dialogue). It is very one-dimensional. Such is life.

OwnVoices representation is important. This book is important.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review!

This is a really beautifully written book. We follow Cruzita as she and her family overcome the obstacles of their Tio having passed and trying to keep their bakery going. Cruz thinks her summer plans are ruined, with it looking like she won't get to go perform on the horizon, but she has other plans.
I adored Cruz and her love of her family and her determination to follow her dreams. Every kid deserves a chance to follow their dreams. We see how she deals with her insecurities and grows from them.
The food and the music in this book are created so you feel that you are there too.
A great middle grade book.

Thanks NetGalley for this ARC!

Cruzita lives in Pacoima, California, where her great uncle has had a panaderia, Lupe's Bakery, since 1978. After his death, her grandmother, Mamá Vincenta, has inherited it, and she, along with Cruzita's mother, father, and Tia Pocha, are trying to keep it in business. None of them are as good at baking, so business is dropping. Often, her father ends up driving their food truck (aka "The Flamingo") to the homeless shelter to donate more product than they sell. Cruzita, who envisions herself a famous pop star if she is just given the chance, knows the way out of this dilemma: she and her best friend Kelli are going to enter the Rising Star Contest at the Encore Island Amusement Park and win enough money to save the bakery. When her parents tell her that a trip there is out of the question, she is devastated, especially when Kelli tells her of her own plan to go to the Encore Island in Nashville and enter. To make matters worse, Cruzita is not allowed to enjoy her summer vacation, but must work in the bakery, running the cash register. She tries a few times to drum up business by singing, but the word has spread that the baked goods are not up to their previous quality. Her cousins don't have to work because they are visiting relatives in Mexico. Cruzita doesn't do a great job, and Mamá eventually comes up with a plan. If Cruzita takes violin lessons from a mariachi studio run by Jaime, she won't have to work such long hours. This is a hard ask, because the kids at the studio speak a lot more Spanish than Cruzita does, and even though her great grandfather, whose violin Mamá gifts her, was a great player, Cruzita has never played. She does meet Araceli and Marcus at the studio, and they are very supportive. As the bakery's fortunes worsen, Cruzita becomes more and more determined to win the Encore Island prize. There is a new contest for Latin music that groups can enter by submitting a video rather than going to the park, so Cruzita and Araceli round up the students and come up with a performance for Mamá's birthday. When Kelli offers to pay the costs of Cruzita's trip to Encore Island Nashville, she jumps at the opportunity to go, since she has had a difference of opinion with her new friends. Will Cruzita be able to stay true to her family and also save the bakery?
Strengths: Cruzita's absolute belief that she can be a pop star by winning a contest perfectly embodies the magical thinking that many middle grade students embrace. Her distractibility as she "performs" for imaginary crowds is both painful and hopeful. The bakery's struggles are realistic, and the family's efforts to save it are heartbreaking. Cruzita's struggles with Spanish, a language spoken by her family, will resonate with readers who may themselves not speak the language that other members of their families do. Kelli was an interesting foil, and seeing her life through Cruzita's eyes underlined the differences between their family cultures. After reading this, I felt like I needed to do a deep dive into the music of Selena, so having a playlist included was very helpful.
Weaknesses: There are a growing number of tweens trying to save family businesses, so this isn't a new idea, although the inclusion of mariachi music sets it apart.
What I really think: This is a good choice for readers who enjoyed the bakery setting in Meriano's A Dash of Trouble (https://msyinglingreads.blogspot.com/2017/12/a-dash-of-trouble-love-sugar-magic-1.html), or Hirandani's How to Find What You're Not Looking For (https://msyinglingreads.blogspot.com/2021/09/how-to-find-what-youre-not-looking-for.html), or Wang's The Many Meanings of Meilan (https://msyinglingreads.blogspot.com/2021/08/the-great-destroyers.html) or the food truck family business in Torres' Stef Soto, Taco Queen. (https://msyinglingreads.blogspot.com/2017/01/wndb-wednesday-stef-soto-taco-queen.html)

On the last day of sixth grade, Cruzita Tayahua nearly fails her final exam in Spanish, and is embarrassed to relay that information to her Mexican American family. Even worse, she learns that her family needs her to work at the family bakery all summer for free. When her grandmother signs Cruzita up for mariachi music lessons as a special treat, Cruz doesn’t have the heart to decline, even though the prospect fills her with dread. Surprisingly, Cruz begins to enjoy the music, the camaraderie, and even learns to sing in Spanish. Will her determination and talent be enough to keep the failing family business afloat? Find out in this engaging tale of friendship, family ties, and unexpected outcomes. Thank you, NetGalley, for the advance reader copy. All opinions are my own.

Cruzita is Mexican-American, living in Pacoima. But she is third or possibly fourth generation, and has had to take Spanish classes to learn Spanish. She wants to be like her best friend, who is white, and well to do, and who loves pop music the way she does. She dreams of being famous for her singing.


But when her great uncle dies, and the family bakery is strugling without his recipes and baking skills, the family doesn’t want to listen to what Cruzita has to say about having a fun summer, and going to the theme park she loves. Instead, she is forced to go to mariachi school, and told to learn the violin.


This is not what she wants to do. She doesn’t speak Spanish. She doesn’t want to learn to play. She doesn’t like being forced to do anything.


But, as in all good stories, she learns there is something she does like about taking the classes, and her white friend turns out to not be such a good friend after all.


It is hard to connect with a culture that feels as though it has left you behind. Cruzita doesn’t feel Mexican enough, but she is neither white enough either. She truly doesn't know what she is. And the thought of losing the bakery is driving her crazy.


I do like the growth we see in her. And I sympathize, as my father’s side of the family did everything they could to be “American”, getting rid of any hint of their heritage, as hard as they could to be accepted. Sometimes we try so hard to fit in, when that isn’t what we really want in the end.


Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review. This book is being published the 2nd of April 2024.

I wanted to like this. But the main character spent so much time obsessing about her insecurities and feeling jealous. Cruzita had such a wonderful family and they were going through a lot, while she worried about the wrong things. I think the end could have made a difference, because you can support your family AND your friends.
Thanks to NetGalley for letting me preview this

Granillo tells a story of a preteen girl, Cruzita. Cruzita faces the dilemmas of adolescent life while also working through her “issues” with family. The story is beautifully told and delves into the mind of adolescence as she faces challenges.

After the passing of Cruzita’s Tio, her family must run the panadería and it now faces bankruptcy. This affects Cruzita’s dream for how she wishes to spend her summer. Much to her dismay, her mother signs her up for mariachi lessons and it changes the way Cruzita sees the world around her.

The story of Cruzita resonated with me as a first generation Mexican American. The author is able to beautifully capture the emotions Cruzita faces as she is teased for not being “enough” along with the anxiety of singing in a language she isn’t fully comfortable with.

The story is empowering for young minds and I highly recommend it for all young readers.

Ashley Granillo perfectly captures the emotional ups and downs of an adolescent trying to find her place (and voice) in a world that doesn't quite make space for the cultural in between so many of us sit in.

Cruzita's family is struggling to keep her great tio's panadería alive after his recent passing. And while Cruzita wants nothing more than to help her family to save the bakery and her beloved tio's memory, she also dreams of going with her best friend Kelli to Encore Island and making her pop star dreams come true. However, when her grandmother surprises her with mariachi lessons and asks her to perform for her on her birthday, Cruzita is stuck spending her summer not only trying to learn how to make the perfect tortilla, but to play the violin and sing (gulp) in Spanish.

Watching Cruzita work through both her own and her family's emotional flaws, and eventually come to a place of self-acceptance was so immensely gratifying. Readers who know what it is to feel not quite "enough" will feel both uplifted and empowered by this beautiful story.

A beautifully written middle grade story of learning to find your voice and hold onto your dreams even when the realities of life mean things might not go exactly how you planned. After the loss of a beloved uncle, Cruzita is excited to go to an amusement park and finally have some fun when she learns that her family's business is on the brink of collapse. As the life she's always known starts to change, Mom signs Cruzita up for mariachi lessons and she's forced to rethink her future. The author's knowledge of and love for music truly comes through the story in so many great lines. Facing discriminatory language later in the story, Cruzita says, "Music isn't only made or...or felt in one language." There is even a playlist included in the book. Life may look different by the end of the story, but I think the idea of creating your own legacy will really resonate with young readers. Highly recommend.