Yaqui Delgado Wants to Kick Your Ass
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One morning before school, some girl tells Piddy Sanchez that Yaqui Delgado hates her and wants to kick her ass. Piddy doesn't even know who Yaqui is, never mind what she's done to piss her off. Word is that Yaqui thinks Piddy is stuck-up, shakes her stuff when she walks, and isn't Latin enough with her white skin, good grades, and no accent. And Yaqui isn't kidding around, so Piddy better watch her back.
At first Piddy is more concerned with trying to find out more about the father she's never met and how to balance honors courses with her weekend job at the neighborhood hair salon. But as the harassment escalates, avoiding Yaqui and her gang starts to take over Piddy's life. Is there any way for Piddy to survive without closing herself off or running away?
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3.5 Very realistic with a strong depiction of a loving but contentious mother/daughter relationship. Some elements felt dated after only 5 years but definitely has strong kid appeal!
I'm obviously not the target audience for this book–it's aimed at middlegrade kids–but I admire everything about it. The characters are complex and believable, the situation the protagonist finds herself in feels real and high-stakes, the dialogue is spot-on, and the language is fluid and perfect. Piedad Sanchez is faced with a bully in her school at a time when she is also dealing with the loss of a friend, a first attachment to a boy, and anxiety about the future.
This is an admirable book. Kids should read it.
