Miss Quinces by Kat Fajardo
Fajardo, K. (2022). Miss Quinces. Graphix. ISBN 9781338535594
Suyapa "Sue" Gutierrez wants to do nothing more than spend her summer reading and attending camp with her best friends, but that plan is ruined when her parents inform her that Sue, her parents and her sisters will be travelling to Honduras to see family. Summer plans ruined, Sue is ready to be bored all summer, and the horrors only get worse once Sue realizes that her family has planned a surprise Quinceanera for her! Now she has to survive the summer in Honduras, while being the center of attention during her Quince, a party she never wanted to happen! How will she ever survive this?
As someone from the Hispanic heritage, I for one know how important the significance of a Quince is to a Hispanic family, and a young girl. In the Hispanic culture a Quince is a celebration when a young girl turns 15, and the Quince is used to signify the girl's entrance into womanhood. While not every girl has a Quince, those who do, family can invest hundreds or even thousands of dollars into this party because it is a major event.
In the book Sue get surprised with a Quince, which can be a major shock as to many girls, as the birthday girl normally has a say in things such as the dress, colors, decorations, themes, damas and chambelanes, and more, so not being involved in these decision can cause major heartache and sadness, though in Sue's case we can see that is not the case. It is evident very early on that Sue does not want this Quince, but eventually agrees to it for her own personal gain. While she does not agree for the right reasons at first, Sue eventually makes her own personal decision to have the Quince to honor the memory of her Abuela, who was an impactful figure in her life. Even though the Quince was originally forced onto Sue, I love how once she accepted and was grateful for the opportunity to have a Quince, she (and her family) found ways to make the day more special and more about Sue; such as having a black overlay on her dress, having her combat boots instead of high heels, and the decision to include Sue's artwork as a souvenir for her Quince, as a way to show the blend of Sue's Hispanic and American culture and lifestyle. Despite the hesitancy Sue had a first, by the end of the book, Sue learned the importance of family, celebrating and owning her culture, and that spending time with family is just as exciting an worthwhile as spending time with friends.
The pages of Miss Quince are very bright and colorful, and matches well with the imagery that Fajardo produced in her graphic novel. The bright colors draw your attention to the page as you admire the work and the corresponding colors that tell the story of Sue's Quince. The colors are a bit more muted and not as vibrant in one section of the book, though this is purposeful as Sue's Abuela just passed away and the use of darker colors set the tone of mourning. The death of her Abuela is handled well, considering the significance her Abuela held in everyone's life.
As a self proclaimed shy, goth kid Kat Fajardo mentions on her website that Sue's story is based on Fajardo's own real life experience. Just like Sue, Fajardo did not want to have a Quince, but did because it was tradition, and also like Sue, both Fajardo and Sue did not regret it. Fajardo also mentions on her website that Miss Quinces was the first graphic novel published by Scholastic Graphix to be published in English and Spanish at the same time, which is amazing, since many Hispanic reader's speak Spanish, so sharing this story with them in highly encouraged. Readers of any age will enjoy Miss Quinces, and I would highly recommend this title to any one, but especially those who have a Quince coming up soon, or had a Quince!
What do reader think of Miss Quinces? Shelley M. Diaz, a reviewer from School Library Journal, notes that Miss Quinces "will especially resonate with readers from bicultural communities" and "this title will be enjoyed by voracious fans of coming-of-age graphic novels." Interested in learning more about the process of creating graphic novels? Watch Kat Fajardo's behind the scenes TikTok talking about the process of the creation of Miss Quinces here. For any teachers out there, Kat Fajardo includes a reading guide with discussion question and activities for after reading. And for anyone and everyone, the reading guide also include a Make Your Own Comic page, which you can use and create your own comic page based on a tradition that is specific to your culture! Loved Miss Quinces? Then you will also enjoy The Tryout by Christina Soontornvat, whose main characters are also people of color, and happen to be the only two people of color in their school and have made the decision to try out for their school's cheer team.
Awards and Recognition for Miss Quinces:
- National Indie Bestseller
- Pura Belpre Honor for Illustrations
- First titled to be published simultaneously in English and Spanish for Graphix
About. Comics & Illustrations of Kat Fajardo. (n.d.-a). https://www.katfajardo.com/about
Diaz, S. M. (2022, August 1). Miss quinces. School Library Journal. https://www.slj.com/review/miss-quinces
Fajardo, K. (2022a). Miss Quinces. Graphix.
Fajardo, K. (2022b, April 30). TikTok. https://www.tiktok.com/@katfcomix/video/7092477865261813038?_r=1&_t=8lkv9ND1vuE
Miss Quinces. Comics & Illustrations of Kat Fajardo. (n.d.). https://www.katfajardo.com/miss-quinces
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