Maybe Maybe Marisol Rainey (Maybe Marisol #1)

by Erin Entrada Kelly (Author) Erin Entrada Kelly (Illustrator)

Maybe Maybe Marisol Rainey (Maybe Marisol #1)
Reading Level: 4th − 5th Grade
Series: Maybe Marisol

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. 

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Booklist

Starred Review
Set in Louisiana, the first volume in the Maybe Marisol series is an immediately engaging and ultimately rewarding choice for readers moving up to chapter books.

Kirkus Reviews

There’s no maybe about it; readers will enjoy this charming story.

Publishers Weekly

Marisol Rainey, an anxious eight-year-old who calms herself by watching silent films, lives in Louisiana with her teacher mother, who is Filipino; her white father, who works on an oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico; and her 12-year-old brother, Oz, a video game fanatic. As she does for most inanimate objects, Marisol has given the perfect climbing tree in their new home's backyard a name: Peppina. Though her best friend, Jada, who has dark skin and curly hair, makes climbing the large magnolia look easy, Marisol grows frustrated by the fear that keeps Marisol from mounting Peppina's branches. Infusing her protagonist with a number of endearing quirks—naming household objects and "rescuing" stuffed animals from a local claw machine—Newbery Medalist Kelly once again shows a knack for capturing a childlike perspective as Marisol navigates her feelings: avoiding a school bully and navigating her identity, finding the courage to ride her bike past a frightening dog, and debating whether to admit her fears to Jada. There is no calamitous "do-or-die" moment that forces Marisol to confront her fear; instead, Kelly lets Marisol ease her way through it, in the process offering a clear message about doing things in one's own time. Final art, by the author, not seen by PW.

Copyright 2021 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.

School Library Journal

Starred Review

Gr 3-7—"That's the thing about best friends. They don't care about all the things you can't do: " wise words from a timid adolescent girl. Marisol is a young Filipina living in Louisiana, while also residing in her own little world. She notices things that most people would overlook, like the sights and sounds from a refrigerator. With a fascination with silent movies and a habit of assigning names to everything (even inanimate objects), endearing, relatable Marisol is also plagued by anxieties of all sorts. This story contains adorable yet thought-provoking conversations between friends, allowing for readers to feel as though they have been transported into the imagination of the main character. The main antagonist in the story is a bully of sorts, and causes grief for Marisol. Readers will be rooting for the main character, Marisol, throughout the story, as well as her kind best friend Jana. VERDICT This title is a great read for upper elementary children. With occasional, whimsical illustrations, it will keep even the most reluctant readers entertained.—Megan Honeycutt, Univ. of West Georgia, Carrollton

Copyright 2021 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Review quotes

"Erin Entrada Kelly is supremely perceptive, as always, and Maybe Maybe Marisol Rainey is utterly endearing! Anyone who has ever felt shy or shaky will find a soul mate and an inspiration in Marisol."—Annie Barrows, New York Times-bestselling author of the Ivy + Bean books
Classification
Fiction
ISBN-13
9780062970428
Lexile Measure
-
Guided Reading Level
-
Publisher
Greenwillow Books
Publication date
May 20, 2021
Series
Maybe Marisol
BISAC categories
JUV039060 - Juvenile Fiction | Social Themes | Friendship
JUV019000 - Juvenile Fiction | Humorous Stories
JUV008000 - Juvenile Fiction | Comics & Graphic Novels | General
JUV039140 - Juvenile Fiction | Social Themes | Self-Esteem & Self-Reliance
Library of Congress categories
-

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