Cruzita and the Mariacheros

Name: Cruzita and the Mariacheros
Brand: Tantor Audio
Availability: InStock
Author: Ashley Granillo
ISBN: 9798855550764

Author: Ashley Granillo

Narrator: EJ Lavery

Unabridged: 5 hr 47 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Tantor Media

Published: 06/11/2024

Categories: Children's Fiction

Synopsis

Cruzita is going to be a pop star. All she has to do is win a singing contest at her favorite theme park and get famous. But she can't go to the theme park this summer. Instead, she has to help out at her family's bakery, which has been struggling ever since Tío Chuy died. Cruzita's great-uncle poured his heart into the bakery—the family legacy—and now that he's gone, nothing is the same.

When Cruzita's not rolling uneven tortillas or trying to salvage rock-hard conchas, she has to take mariachi lessons, even though she doesn't know how to play her great-grandpa's violin and she's not fluent in Spanish. At first, she's convinced her whole summer will be a disaster. But as she discovers the heart and soul of mariachi music, she realizes that there's more than one way to be a star—and more than one way to carry on a legacy.

About Ashley Granillo

Ashley Jean Granillo is a Mexican American writer and educator hailing from the San Fernando Valley. She has her BA and MA in creative writing from California State University Northridge and holds her MFA in fiction from the University of California Riverside, Palm Desert. She is also a member of Las Musas, a collective of Latinx authors whose gender identity aligns with femininity. Her short story "Besitos" was featured in Where Monsters Lurk & Magic Hides, a Latine/x short story genre anthology. Cruzita and the Mariacheros is her debut middle grade contemporary novel.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Literary on March 03, 2024

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!......more

Goodreads review by Nicole on November 04, 2024

This review and many more can be found on my blog: Feed Your Fiction Addiction This MG contemporary is both an inspirational story about following your dreams and an exploration of Latino culture in its many forms. After Cruzita’s uncle dies, the family is mourning both his loss and the slow failure......more

Goodreads review by Alicia on February 24, 2024

This was such a wonderful book! I loved Cruzita and the book was so fun. Middle schoolers who dream about being famous will relate to her efforts to win the Rising Star Contest, as well as her frustration that her parents don't take her ambitions seriously. Cruzita's interest in music was a big part......more

Goodreads review by Jesenia on March 30, 2024

A talented writer! She created a fully immersive world that is relatable to anyone who has ever struggled with finding their place in the world. Her book had me crying, remembering Selena, wanting to eat pan dulce while listening to mariachi music, she captures the love and support of family, of gri......more

Goodreads review by Mariana on March 31, 2024

This was an adorable read!!! I loved so many aspects of it. Cruzita is determined to go to a theme park and win a contest to fulfill her dream to be a pop star. However, it suddenly comes to a halt when her family’s panadería is struggling financially after her uncle’s death. On top of it all, Cruzi......more