Today we have a fun new middle grade book that fits the multicultural theme: Oops-A-Daisy (The De La Cruz Diaries Book 1) by Melody Delgado.
Daisy De la Cruz is a twelve-year-old aspiring singer and actress. She has won a few parts for commercials on television, but she always is stuck wearing a full costume. Will she ever get to show her face?
Some parts of this book a hilarious. For example, Daisy’s thoughts when she isn’t given much of a break during taping of a commercial:
When I’m heading up my own studio the actors won’t get a measly little five-minute break. No way! I’ll give them at least six.
Fiction is supposed to show readers how to deal with real life issues and this novel does a good job of tackling some age-appropriate problems. For example, the middle school years can be fraught with landmines when it comes to friendships. Delgado shows how friends can change and how to deal with those changes in a positive way.
Another issue that kids run into is not getting the part they wanted, whether it is auditioning for a play, a commercial, or trying out for a sports team. Daisy experiences some disappointments and set backs, but she stays positive and keeps trying. That kind of persistence can make all the difference for achieving success in the future.
Let’s not forget the multicultural aspects of the book. Set in Florida, Daisy’s grandfather is from Puerto Rico and the family speaks some Spanish. The back matter has a glossary of the Spanish words and phrases used. This book would be a good fit for Multicultural Children’s Book Day (see info below).
Oops-A-Daisy is a fun, wholesome book with a lot of good messages to offer middle grade readers. It is perfect not only for budding singers or actors, but also for anyone who has struggled with friendships. Check out a copy today.
Age Range: 7 – 12 years
Publisher: Clean Reads (October 3, 2017)
ISBN-10: 162135699X
ISBN-13: 978-1621356998
Multicultural Children’s Book Day 2018 (1/27/18) is its fifth year and was founded by Valarie Budayr from Jump Into A Book and Mia Wenjen from PragmaticMom. Our mission is to raise awareness on the ongoing need to include kid’s books that celebrate diversity in home and school bookshelves while also working diligently to get more of these types of books into the hands of young readers, parents and educators.
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