  | Your turn Marisol Rainey (Maybe Marisol) Author: Kelly, Erin Entrada | |
| Price: $23.28 | ||
Summary:
Marisol loves language arts class. Mrs. Ruby always makes her feel special, until the day Mrs. Ruby makes a horrible, terrible, downright dreadful announcement: all the kids have to write their own haiku. Marisol would rather swim through a pack of jellyfish than get up in front of the whole class. Maybe she can stay home sick. Maybe she can transfer schools. Maybe she can conjure a spell that makes her disappear. Or maybe, just maybe, she'll figure out a way to take her turn.
Reviews:
School Library Journal (10/01/25)
Booklist (08/01/25)
The Hornbook (+) (00/11/25)
Full Text Reviews:
School Library Journal - 10/01/2025 Gr 2–5—Marisol Rainey, an eight-year-old Filipina girl, returns in the latest volume by Newbery-winner Kelly. In this entry, Marisol and her best friend Jada are not looking forward to returning to school after spring break. Jada wishes she could be more athletic, while Marisol, whose timidity often masks an expansive internal world, longs to speak up more and take chances. When their beloved teacher, Mrs. Ruby, introduces a terrifying haiku project that requires Marisol to recite an original haiku in front of the entire class, it could be just the chance she's been looking for to turn over a new leaf—or it could fail spectacularly. Marisol's internal fight to mold herself into the "new Marisol," who doesn't cry and isn't afraid of anything, will likely resonate with young readers. Simple illustrations portray Marisol's creative and complex inner thinking and make this an incredibly engaging, heartfelt story. VERDICT Recommended for upper elementary readers, particularly for fans of the"Rica Baptista" series. - Copyright 2025 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.
Booklist - 08/01/2025 On the last day of spring break, Marisol and her best friend take a hard look at their personalities, and each girl feels inadequate. Back in school the next day, their teacher delivers a low blow: this week, they’ll be studying haiku, and on Friday, each student will recite an original haiku poem in front of the class. Already reeling from a classmate’s mean remarks, her older brother’s criticism, and her own harsh self-assessment, Marisol is now tormented by the thought of writing a poem and presenting it aloud to her classmates. Talking with each of her parents helps Marisol question whether her fears are warranted, but it’s hard to banish them entirely. Marisol tries to deal with a problem on her own but succeeds only after talking it over with someone she trusts. The many kids who are afraid to address a group of people will find it interesting to know what enables Marisol to succeed in this simply illustrated, satisfying stand-alone volume, the fourth in the Maybe Marisol series of transitional chapter books. - Copyright 2025 Booklist.
