In this post, we feature author Anna Lapera. You can hear her speak about her debut middle-grade novel, Mani Semilla Finds Her Quetzal Voice, and try her “invitation to imagine” activity. You’ll also find other resources to explore. Thanks for joining us, and let us know what you think in the comments below!
Mani Semilla Finds Her Quetzal Voice
- Written by Anna Lapera
- Published by Levine Querido
- Release date: March 5, 2024
Life sucks when you’re 12. You’re not a little kid, but you’re also not an adult, and all the grown-ups in your life talk about your body the minute it starts getting a shape. And what sucks even more than being a Chinese-Filipino-American-Guatemalan who can’t speak any ancestral language well? When almost every other girl in school has already gotten her period, except for you and your two besties. Manuela “Mani” Semilla wants two things: To get her period, and to thwart her mom’s plan of taking her to Guatemala on her thirteenth birthday. If her mom’s always going on about how dangerous it is in Guatemala, and how much she sacrificed to come to this country, then why should Mani even want to visit? But one day, she finds secret letters between her mom and her Tía Beatriz, who, according to family lore, died in a bus crash before Mani was born. The letters, though, reveal a different story. Why did her family really leave Guatemala? What will Mani learn about herself along the way? And how can the letters help her to stand up against the culture of harassment at her own school?
From Mani Semilla Finds Her Quetzal Voice, written by Anna Lapera.
“When your dad is Chinese-Filipino-American, and your mom is Guatemalan, it’s really annoying trying to explain why you don’t speak Mandarin or Tagalog. It’s even more annoying trying to defend yourself in your broken Spanish why you can’t roll your r’s. “
Click here to view a longer preview of Mani Semilla Finds Her Quetzal Voice, written by Anna Lapera.
Explore Mani Semilla Finds Her Quetzal Voice
Listen to Anna Lapera talking with TeachingBooks about creating Mani Semilla Finds Her Quetzal Voice. You can click the player below or experience the recording on TeachingBooks, where you can read along as you listen, and also translate the text to another language.
- Listen to Anna Lapera pronounce her name.
- Sample the ebook of Mani Semilla Finds Her Quetzal Voice on OverDrive.com.
- Sample the audiobook of Mani Semilla Finds Her Quetzal Voice on OverDrive.com.
- Explore TeachingBooks’ collection of activities and resources for Mani Semilla Finds Her Quetzal Voice.
Invitation to Imagine
TeachingBooks asks each author or illustrator on our Virtual Book Tour to share a writing prompt, a drawing exercise, or just an interesting question to spark curiosity and creativity. Enjoy the following activity contributed by Anna Lapera.
Imagination Activity with Anna Lapera
I once worked at a center for girls in Peru. The girls traveled far distances to attend the school. I asked each one to create a map of how they remember their journey from home to school. I think making maps can be fun for anyone, no matter how far or short the distance we’re talking about. And there’s nothing like drawing to unleash creativity and get words flowing! So, imagine that someone your age, from a completely different community than yours, asked you to draw them a map of how you get to school. Draw a map of your journey from home to school, however you want to depict it. You can’t include every single detail, right? So what are five things you would draw along the way?
Finish This Sentence . . . with Anna Lapera
As part of our Virtual Book Tour, TeachingBooks asks authors and illustrators to complete short sentence prompts. Enjoy Anna Lapera’s response.
“I hope my book encourages readers to think about…”
I hope that my book may encourage kids (or teens) to think about the many different ways a young person can speak up for justice. There isn’t one right way! Choose the way that is most authentic to you and one that makes your voice truly shine.
“I knew I would be a writer when…”
I knew I would be a writer when I was in fifth grade. My teacher introduced us to poetry, and I wrote a poem with the following line: “I entered the clear blue opening shadows of the earth’s territory.” My fifth-grade self was so proud and thought that was so good!
Thank you!
To wrap up this Virtual Book Tour, we thank Anna Lapera for signing a book for all of us.
More Connections to Anna Lapera and Mani Semilla Finds Her Quetzal Voice
- Discover books like Mani Semilla Finds Her Quetzal Voice on TeachingBooks.
- Levine Querido’s page about Mani Semilla Finds Her Quetzal Voice, written by Anna Lapera.
- Buy Mani Semilla Finds Her Quetzal Voice, written by Anna Lapera.
All text and images are courtesy of Anna Lapera and Levine Querido and may not be used without expressed written consent.
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