Shine On, Luz Veliz!, Rebecca Balcarcel
Shine On, Luz Veliz!, Rebecca Balcarcel
List: $15.99 | Sale: $11.20
Club: $7.99

Shine On, Luz Véliz!

Author: Rebecca Balcarcel

Narrator: Victoria Villarreal

Unabridged: 6 hr

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Tantor Media

Published: 12/26/2023


Synopsis

Have you ever been the best at something . . . only to lose it all?

Luz Véliz is a soccer star—or rather, she was a soccer star. With her serious knee injury, it's unlikely she'll be back on the field anytime soon. But without soccer, who is she? Even her dad treats her differently now—like he doesn't know her or, worse, like he doesn't even like her. When Luz discovers she has a knack for coding, it feels like a lifeline to a better self. If she can just ace the May Showcase, she'll not only skip a level in her coding courses and impress Ms. Freeman and intriguing, brilliant Trevor—she'll have her parents cheering her on from the sidelines, just the way she likes it.

But something—someone—is about to enter the Vélizes' life. And when Solana arrives, nothing will be the same, ever again.

Unforgettable characters, family drama, and dauntless determination illuminate Luz's journey as she summons her inner strength and learns to accept others and embrace the enduring connection of family. Through it all, Luz's light is a constant—a guide for others, a path forward through the dark, and an ineffable celebration of her own eternal self.

About Rebecca Balcarcel

Rebecca Balcarcel earned her MFA in creative writing and literature from Bennington College's Writing Seminars and received their Jane Kenyon Poetry Prize. The Other Half of Happy won the Pura Belpre Author Honor, which recognizes literature for children or youth that best portrays the Latinx cultural experience. Her poems and essays have appeared in journals such as Third Coast and North American Review, and her book of poems is titled Palabras In Each Fist. She currently serves the students of Tarrant County College as associate professor of English and lives in Belford, Texas.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Rebecca on January 22, 2023

I hope you enjoy meeting Luz and joining her on her journey to learn robotics, coding, and how to enlarge a family! #bicultural #GirlsWhoCode #Guatemala......more

Goodreads review by Ashley on April 20, 2024

Jameson recommended this (he read it 4 times!). Great upper elementary/middle school choice about growth/overcoming challenges.......more

Goodreads review by Gillian on January 08, 2022

I just finished reading this delightful book and can’t wait to share it with the readers in my life! Middle school student Luz Véliz is dealing with some big changes. First we learn about a knee injury that has interrupted her trajectory as a soccer star, thus changing her relationship with her dad......more

Goodreads review by Afoma (Reading Middle Grade) on April 05, 2022

Shine On, Luz Véliz is a riveting, heartwarming book about rediscovering your identity, coding, family, and languages. I adored the storytelling in this beautiful story. Balcarcel has outdone herself by creating a relatable, strong-willed protagonist trying to find herself after a major life disrupt......more

Goodreads review by Seher on March 10, 2024

About Luz finding her way in life after being injured in a soccer game which starts off like you would expect but goes in a completely different direction than the usual approach to injured kid has to learn there's more to life than original dream. Here we get robotics (YAS), an elderly neighbor on h......more