Estrella's Quinceanera
by Malin Alegria

I found this book at the public library and I chose it to highlight because my husband is from Colombia and we had a quinceanera (15th birthday party)for our older daughter last year. It is a very big deal for many Hispanic people. My daughter was excited for her party, but the character in this book is not. Estrella wants nothing to do with the 'mariachi band, cheesy decorations, or the hideous dress'. She would just like to go to a fancy restaurant with a couple of close friends, who have no idea she lives in the barrio. She also ends up falling in love with what her parents would call the wrong type of person. Estrella must use her sense of humor to come to terms with her life in this funny coming-of-age story.