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.

Cruzita and the Mariacheros is such a sweet story about family, friendships, music, loss, and loyalty. I enjoyed it immensely, and am sure kids will too! Just read it!

The characters were vivid, and I especially resonated with Cruzita's feelings of duty and resentment toward the family business. The first scene of her giving the Spanish presentation was incredible: I felt like I was experiencing her anxiety while reading!

All in all, CRUZITA is not only great Latine representation but also a well-crafted and written story.