Maybe Maybe Marisol Rainey Blog Tour: Review & Giveaway (10 Winners!)

Sometimes our ability to do certain things is impaired solely by our fear for the possible negative consequences. Is there anything we can do to overcome that kind of fear? Check out Newbery Medalist and New York Times–bestselling author Erin Entrada Kelly’s debut illustrated chapter book Maybe Maybe Marisol Rainey and enter to win a harcover copy!

My Review

Maybe Maybe Marisol Rainey is a delightful and relaxing short story centering around an 8-year-old Filipino American girl named Marisol and her best friend Jada. Marisol treasures the company of Jada for almost everything. But there is one thing she can't do together with Jada. She dare not climb the magnolia tree in her backyard because of her fear of falling. And that really bothers her. Although Jada never gives her any pressure, Marisol finds it hard to resist the temptation to join Jada up in the tree. Finally a new finding by Jada motivates Marisol to take baby steps to conquer her fear. "Hello, Peppina." That's how she greets the tree in both the opening and concluding chapters, but her feelings are never the same.

My favorite things about this book are the adorable characters Marisol and Jada and the admirable friendship between the two. Marisol is shy, sensitive, and afraid of getting hurt physically or emotionally. She is also an active, observant thinker gifted with vivid, and oftentimes hilarious imaginations. She likes to name things that have special meanings for her, including such non-living things as the fridge, the couch, the family car, the dishwasher and her stuffed animals. The names help her personify those objects and even talk to them.

Jada, by comparison, is more outgoing, outspoken, and courageous. She is also kind, considerate, and open-minded. While Marisol and Jada share a lot in common, they respect and appreciate their differences, which is the key to making their friendship last and grow. Besides, they trust each other, confide in each other, and stay honest with each other. Who wouldn't want friends like these?

The cute and childlike illustrations (done by the author) well complement the text by adding funny details to the story. Young readers are inspired to learn to face and overcome their worst fear, and to value family, friends, kindness and acceptance. The careful choice of language makes the book highly accessible to independent readers who start to make the transition from picture books to chapter books. It also works for younger children who love to bond with their parents through reading together.

About the Book

Ages 7-12 | 160 Pages
Publisher: Greenwillow Books | ISBN-13: 978-0062970428

Introducing eight-year-old Marisol Rainey—an irresistible new character from Newbery Medalist and New York Times–bestselling Erin Entrada Kelly!

Marisol Rainey’s mother was born in the Philippines. Marisol’s father works and lives part-time on an oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico. And Marisol, who has a big imagination and likes to name inanimate objects, has a tree in her backyard she calls Peppina . . . but she’s way too scared to climb it. This all makes Marisol the only girl in her small Louisiana town with a mother who was born elsewhere and a father who lives elsewhere (most of the time)—the only girl who’s fearful of adventure and fun.

Will Marisol be able to salvage her summer and have fun with Jada, her best friend? Maybe. Will Marisol figure out how to get annoying Evie Smythe to leave her alone? Maybe. Will Marisol ever get to spend enough real time with her father? Maybe. Will Marisol find the courage to climb Peppina? Maybe.

Told in short chapters with illustrations by the author on nearly every page, Maybe, Maybe Marisol Rainey is a must-have for early elementary grade readers. Erin Entrada Kelly celebrates the small but mighty Marisol, the joys of friendship, and the triumph of overcoming your fears in this stunning new novel for readers of Kevin Henkes, Meg Medina, Andrew Clements, Sara Pennypacker, and Kate DiCamillo.

Order a copy: Amazon | Bookshop

About the Author

New York Times–bestselling author Erin Entrada Kelly was awarded the Newbery Medal for Hello, Universe and a Newbery Honor for We Dream of Space. She grew up in Lake Charles, Louisiana, and now lives in Delaware. She is a professor of children’s literature in the graduate fiction and publishing programs at Rosemont College, where she earned her MFA, and is on the faculty at Hamline University. Her short fiction has been nominated for the Philippines Free Press Literary Award for Short Fiction and the Pushcart Prize. Erin Entrada Kelly’s debut novel, Blackbird Fly, was a Kirkus Best Book, a School Library Journal Best Book, an ALSC Notable Book, and an Asian/Pacific American Literature Honor Book. She is also the author of The Land of Forgotten Girls, winner of the Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature; You Go First, a Spring 2018 Indie Next Pick; Lalani of the Distant Sea, an Indie Next Pick; and Maybe Maybe Marisol Rainey, which she also illustrated. The author’s mother was the first in her family to immigrate to the United States from the Philippines, and she now lives in Cebu.

Ten winners will each receive a hardcover copy of Maybe Maybe Marisol Rainey!

Giveaway ends 5/26. Open to US 18+ only. Please enter to win below. Good luck!

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Disclosure: This is a sponsored post in partnership with The Children’s Book Review and HarperCollins Publishers. All views and opinions expressed are my own. icefairy's Treasure Chest is not responsible for winner selection or prize fulfillment.