
Member Reviews

I received an electronic ARC from HarperCollins Children's Books through NetGalley.
Marisol is back and struggling to reinvent herself as a perfect person. Readers see humor as well as serious thoughts as the author shows that everyone has flaws and fears. When Marisol is mean to a classmate, she thinks she is speaking up, but she realizes she was just as mean as her classmate. I appreciate Marisol finding the courage to apologize and listen to her classmate. By the end, the dreaded oral presentation is done and she managed to share her poem with everyone. Mid to upper elementary readers will connect with the interactions and the nerves involved with friends and assignments.

The latest entry to this wonderful series is delightful. The author portrays Marisol has a very relatable third grader as she navigates her family and friends and her anxieties. She has a vivid inner life and the reader learns about her fears and observations about classmates. Marisol learns that she has to create a haiku and then…gulp…share it in front of the class. She struggles with her fear and it takes over her life. Her mother is reassuring telling her she can do it with lots of practice and will feel better which is a message for all of us. Erin Entrada Kelly’s whimsical illustrations pair with the text to highlight key points. Students will identify with Marisol and her struggles at school.

A story about trying new things even when they scare you. Marisol is best friends with Jada, she’s afraid of dragonflies, and she wants to be a new person. When she starts trying to be a new person, things go a bit awry and she ends up in a few arguments with her friends. But standing up in front of the class to read her poem is too much even for the new version of Marisol. Will things work out?
Well written with great graphics for readers moving into wanting to read more difficult books.

I will read as many Marisol Rainey stories as Erin Entrada Kelly writes! Not only are the stories entertaining and is Marisol relatable, but each story offers so many things worth considering for the readers. This one touches on apologies, standing up for one another, a reminder that "we contain multitudes, the importance of learning to pronounce people's names, the feelings surrounding "disaster run throughs", nature related fears such as insects and bugs, and more.
I especially liked these touches:
- The readers are leaders sign
- Highlighting the awesomeness of Mae Jemison
- The philosophical questions
- The poetry
Keep adding these stories to your classroom, school and home libraries! Consider them for whole class read alouds and small groups, especially in 1st, 2nd grade and 3rd grade.

I received an ARC from Net Galley in exchange for a review. I read this book with my 5 year old. This was our first Mirasol Rainey book and we both loved it! The pictures were a nice addition and even though it might not be intended for my daughter’s age range, the story was still very appropriate and engaging for her. I think we will be reading many more Mirasol books together!
My daughter said “Why was she afraid of dragonflies? I love dragonflies! They are so beautiful!”

This book has heart and humor. I appreciate it when the issues are relevant and the behavior feels true to the ages of the characters. Lovely.

I love Marisol Rainey. Marisol is afraid of many things including dragonflies and public speaking. Marisol wants to change her personality. Luckily, she has friends and family that she can talk to about these things. She makes me think so much of my own childhood and how much I would have loved to have read her then.
Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins Children’s Books for this DRC.
#YourTurnMarisolRainey #NetGalley

This is a quick read. Also, there’s illustrations inside. A good middle grade read. It’s about Marisol who enjoys language arts class. Her favorite teacher has the class do haiku and had to read them in front of the class. Marisol would rather read anything but haiku. She has to learn to figure out a way to read her work in front of the class.