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The Other Half of Happy by: Rebecca Balcarcel

The Other Half of Happy by: Rebecca Balcarcel

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The Other Half of Happy by Rebecca Balcárcel is a middle-grade novel about 12-year-old Quijana, a Guatemalan-American girl navigating her bicultural identity, first crushes, and family issues as her Guatemalan cousins move to town. The story explores themes of belonging, heritage, and growing up through Quijana’s poetic voice as she deals with her feelings for a friend, her changing relationship with her brother, and her parents’ desire for her to connect more with her Guatemalan roots. 

Key themes and plot points:
  • Bicultural identity:
    Quijana feels caught between her Guatemalan and American sides, especially when her cousins arrive and she feels she doesn’t know enough Spanish.
  • First crush:
    She develops feelings for her friend Jayden, complicating their friendship.
  • Family dynamics:
    Her brother becomes more distant, and she struggles with her parents’ plans for a family trip to Guatemala, which she desperately wants to avoid.
  • Poetic style:
    The book is known for its lyrical, metaphorical language that captures the angst and hopes of a seventh-grader. 

Awards and recognition:
  • 2020 Capitol Choices List
  • 2020 Bank Street College of Education Best Books of the Year List
  • 2021 International Latino Book Awards, Silver Medal 

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Description

The Other Half of Happy: (Middle Grade Novel for Ages 9-12, Bilingual Tween Book)
ISBN: 9781452169989
Publisher Description
Quijana is a girl in pieces. One-half Guatemalan, one-half American: When Quijana’s Guatemalan cousins move to town, her dad seems ashamed that she doesn’t know more about her family’s heritage. One-half crush, one-half buddy: When Quijana meets Zuri and Jayden, she knows she’s found true friends. But she can’t help the growing feelings she has for Jayden. One-half kid, one-half grown-up: Quijana spends her nights Skyping with her ailing grandma and trying to figure out what’s going on with her increasingly hard-to-reach brother. In the course of this immersive and beautifully written novel, Quijana must figure out which parts of herself are most important, and which pieces come together to make her whole. This lyrical debut from Rebecca Balcárcel is a heartfelt poetic portrayal of a girl growing up, fitting in, and learning what it means to belong.

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