Some books grab you like a locomotive and you cling on for your life as the story roars down the track--and you can't let go. Other books, like Tortilla Sun, are like a cup of cocoa on a cool evening--to be sipped slowly while enjoying the fragrant aroma and sweet taste.
Tortilla Sun is not a book you can't put down. Rather, it is a book that one is happy to return to. The story unfolds slowly, like Nana, the grandmother, says while slicing a ripe tomato, "All stories are told in due time. Just like these needed time to grow on the vine until they were ripe."
Tortilla Sun is rife with metaphor, reminiscent of Tony Johnston's book, Any Small Goodness. The wind is a major character in this book. It whispers to Izzy, the main character, and calls her by a strange name: Bella. The wind also helps her in her search for answers--leading her to new places and helping her think.
Izzy's job for the summer is to learn about her late father and discover the mystery behind the baseball he left behind with the puzzling missing words.
Story summary:
When twelve-year-old Izzy discovers a beat-up baseball marked with the words "Because magic" while unpacking in yet another new apartment, she is determined to figure out what it means. What secrets does this old ball have to tell? Her mom certainly isn't sharing any especially when it comes to Izzy's father, who died before Izzy was born. But when she spends the summer in her Nana's remote New Mexico village, Izzy discovers long-buried secrets that come alive in an enchanted landscape of watermelon mountains, whispering winds, and tortilla suns. Infused with the flavor of the southwest and sprinkled with just a pinch of magic, this heartfelt middle grade debut is as rich and satisfying as Nana's homemade enchiladas.
With the help of new friends Mateo and Maggie, and Nana, Izzy finds out what magic really means. And love and family. And the name Bella.
The author's style is such that you can taste, smell and feel the New Mexico village and the yummy tortillas that Izzy learns to make. After reading this book, a visit to New Mexico will be part of your next travel itinerary.
Visit the author on her website.
Publisher: Chronicle Books
ISBN: 978-0-8118-7015-3
Ages 8 - 12
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