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From Cooperative Children's Book Center (CCBC)

Marisol Rainey lives with her parents and older brother, Oz, in Louisiana. Her Filipina mom is a 7th grade science teacher, her white dad an electrician on an oil rig in the Louisiana gulf. As summer begins, Marisol wishes she weren’t afraid to ascend Peppina, the beautiful magnolia tree in her back yard with branches perfect for climbing. Marisol’s best friend, Jada, climbs Peppina easily, and while Marisol isn’t jealous she does long to join Jada in the tree. In a story about an anxious child that perfectly arcs toward Marisol’s realistic conquering of this one fear, Marisol is singular yet relatable, surrounded by a loving family and good best friend. This warm, emotionally honest, gently humorous novel wonderfully captures dynamics of family and friendship and the timeless feeling of summer days, while one or more of Marisol’s worries will resonate with many readers, even though Marisol is convinced she is alone in her struggles. Marisol’s success in climbing Peppina is all the more satisfying for doing it wholly on her own terms, motivated solely by her own desire rather than outside pressure. Black-and-white occasional illustrations by the author, who notes that Marisol has a lot in common with herself as a child, accompany a story perfect for reading aloud, or for newly independent readers ready to read a short novel. (Ages 6-9)

CCBC Choices 2022 © Cooperative Children's Book Center, Univ. of Wisconsin - Madison, 2022. Used with permission.

From Horn Book

Starred review from May 1, 2021
Kelly (Newbery medalist for Hello, Universe, rev. 3/17, and honoree for We Dream of Space, rev. 5/20) reaches out to a younger audience in an approachable chapter book about thoughtful worrier Marisol. Marisol has what everyone describes as the perfect climbing tree in her Louisiana backyard, but the list of things she fears is long, and the magnolia tree she's named Peppina (after a Mary Pickford character -- she's a silent movie buff) is at the top of the list. She can't imagine giving a book report without quaking, or visiting her extended family in the Philippines -- much less what it would feel like to be brave enough to climb the tree. The story covers several days during summer vacation when Marisol decides that she will, like her idol Pickford, face up to frightening things and climb Peppina. Kelly's writing has the unhurried pace of an unscheduled summer day (Marisol and her best friend Jada spy on Marisol's brother Oz, act out silent movies, and ride bikes around the neighborhood). The story's tension is built from the skillful accumulation of small moments and the strong character development. Frequent delightfully quirky line drawings by the author add humor and personality. Give this to readers of Dominguez's Stella Diaz Has Something to Say (rev. 5/18) and Henkes's Billy Miller books (rev. 9/13 and 3/21). Maeve Visser Knoth

(Copyright 2021 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

From School Library Journal

Starred review from April 1, 2021

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.

From Kirkus

April 1, 2021
Marisol spends her summer mulling over climbing a tree. In Marisol Rainey's Louisiana backyard stands a magnolia tree that she has named Peppina. (Believing that "all important things...should have their own names," she's given names to appliances, furniture, and the family car, too.) The tree is perfect for climbing, and everyone loves Peppina. Everyone except Marisol, that is, who is afraid of falling. She has a big imagination, which often causes her to get lost in the what ifs. Marisol spends the summer days with her best friend, Jada, playing and making movies. Jada loves to climb Peppina, and maybe, just maybe, this will be the summer Marisol finds the courage to climb Peppina too. Narrated in third person, present tense, this is a sweet story of a girl trying to overcome her fears and anxieties. Marisol's story also touches on friendship, bullies, siblings, having a parent who lives away from home (her dad works on an oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico), and having a parent from another country. Her story is an expression of daily life and feelings that many children will find familiar. The short chapters help move the quiet story along, as do the amusing black-and-white illustrations sprinkled throughout. Fans of Ivy + Bean will enjoy Marisol's story. Marisol is biracial, with her Filipina mom's dark hair and eyes; her dad presents White. Jada presents Black. There's no maybe about it; readers will enjoy this charming story. (Fiction. 6-9)

COPYRIGHT(2021) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

From Booklist

Starred review from March 15, 2021
Grades 2-4 *Starred Review* On the first day of summer, Marisol watches as Jada, her best friend, climbs into the magnolia tree, sits on a branch, and whispers that she's found a bird's nest made of twigs and interwoven with a pink ribbon. Marisol longs to see the nest, too (after all, it's in her backyard), but a strong fear of falling keeps her firmly on the ground. Sometime later, after she admits her anxiety to Jada, she finds that she can pull herself up onto the tree's lowest branch, but will she ever find the courage to climb higher? Kelly's lively, expressive black-and-white illustrations appear throughout the book's 21 short chapters. From the author of the Newbery Award-winning Hello, Universe (2017), this perceptive story focuses on Marisol, an imaginative Filipina American girl who names the magnolia tree (Peppina), her bicycle (Ginny), and the refrigerator (Buster), and she sometimes talks to them as well. 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.

COPYRIGHT(2021) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

From Horn Book

January 1, 2021
Kelly (Newbery medalist for Hello, Universe, rev. 3/17, and honoree for We Dream of Space, rev. 5/20) reaches out to a younger audience in an approachable chapter book about thoughtful worrier Marisol. Marisol has what everyone describes as the perfect climbing tree in her Louisiana backyard, but the list of things she fears is long, and the magnolia tree she's named Peppina (after a Mary Pickford character -- she's a silent movie buff) is at the top of the list. She can't imagine giving a book report without quaking, or visiting her extended family in the Philippines -- much less what it would feel like to be brave enough to climb the tree. The story covers several days during summer vacation when Marisol decides that she will, like her idol Pickford, face up to frightening things and climb Peppina. Kelly's writing has the unhurried pace of an unscheduled summer day (Marisol and her best friend Jada spy on Marisol's brother Oz, act out silent movies, and ride bikes around the neighborhood). The story's tension is built from the skillful accumulation of small moments and the strong character development. Frequent delightfully quirky line drawings by the author add humor and personality. Give this to readers of Dominguez's Stella Diaz Has Something to Say (rev. 5/18) and Henkes's Billy Miller books (rev. 9/13 and 3/21).

(Copyright 2021 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

From AudioFile Magazine

This is a charming slice-of-life audiobook told through short chapters and interconnected stories of Marisol's summer. Eight-year-old Marisol loves silent films; her cat, Beans; and her best friend, Jada. But Marisol also gets nervous easily and worries about things like climbing Peppina, the tree in her backyard, and encountering the mean girl at school. Though the text is just right for beginning independent readers, Amielynn Abellera's evocative narration adds to the story, making it a great listen for those of all ages. Abellera excels at giving a distinct voice to each character, including the various objects and animals Marisol interacts with. Listeners are sure to enjoy their time with Marisol. Thanks to Abellera's humor and heart, this is an audiobook to savor. S.B.T. © AudioFile 2021, Portland, Maine