Maybe Maybe Marisol Rainey by Erin Entrada Kelly
Published by Greenwillow Books on May 4, 2021
ISBN: 0062970429
Pages: 160
Genres: Realistic Fiction
Format: Chapter Book Fiction
Goodreads

Marisol Rainey is a delightful and endearing character. She has a penchant for naming inanimate objects and a healthy fear of many, usual childhood things, the most absorbing being climbing the tree (Peppina) in her backyard. Marisol is such a relatable and likeable character. She lives in a world where her mother is Filipino and her father is white, but is also away working on an oil rig, so in addition to feeling different for having a parent from another country, she also acutely misses her dad. Her nemesis, Evie, has a way of pointing out how much fun she has with her own dad, which hurts Marisol’s heart. However, she has a best friend, Jada, who is a particularly lovely character, and who helps her feel like she is enough even with her sadness and fears. A wonderful book for readers in grades 2-4 who know what it’s like to worry about everything and who are still defining for themselves what it means to be brave. Highly recommend.

Review by Jill O’Connor, Merrill Memorial Library, Yarmouth