Melany
Melany
I am a high school student in Washington, DC and a first-generation Mexican-American. I have a big family: four brothers, one sister, four amazing parents—my mom and step-dad and my dad and step-mom—three cats, and a husky. I like music and sports. My favorite part of working on this book was being able to connect with my team members, sharing laughs and jokes, and having our story come to life. I was able to honor my grandpa through writing this book. He was a great man and a father figure in my life. I chose to write this book because I wanted other kids to see themselves in the story the way that I couldn’t growing up.
BOOKS BY MELANY
Authors: Luisa Orellana-Castillo, Brizel Martinez Cruz, Camila Melany De la Luz Villegas
Illustrator: Romeo Montero
Amidst changes in a gentrifying neighborhood, a young girl must overcome her fears in order to fight for her community and her aunt’s memory in this heart-warming bilingual children’s book.
En medio de los cambios que atraviesa un vecindario en proceso de gentrificación, una niña debe superar sus miedos para poder luchar por su comunidad y por la memoria de su tía en este conmovedor libro infantil bilingüe.
Written by first-generation Latinx teens, this bilingual book – told in Spanish and English – follows Belinda, a young girl of Mexican and Salvadoran heritage who once loved to sing. But ever since her aunt’s death, Belinda has been afraid to use her voice. When a new owner decides to paint over the mural that was created to honor her aunt, Belinda rallies the entire community together to stop it. Can Belinda lead her community and lift her voice to save Tía’s mural? From the shy reader to the young activist, this endearing story uplifts our future leaders.
Esta historia bilingüe –contada en español e inglés—, escrita por adolescentes latinos de primera generación, narra la historia de Belinda, una niña de ascendencia mexicana y salvadoreña a quien le fascinaba cantar. Desde la muerte de su tía, Belinda siente temor a usar su voz. Cuando un nuevo propietario decide tapar con pintura un mural que se creó en honor a su tía, Belinda congrega a toda la comunidad para detenerlo. ¿Podrá Belinda liderar a su comunidad y elevar su voz para salvar el mural de su tía? Esta adorable historia alienta a nuestros futuros líderes, desde los lectores tímidos hasta los pequeños activistas.
ISBN: 978-1-950807-64-2
Age: 4-9
Page Count: 40
Coming: Fall 2023
