Maybe Marisol

Maybe, Maybe Marisol Rainey is an illustrated novel about summer, friendship, and overcoming fears, told with warm humor and undeniable appeal. Fans of Clementine, The Year of Billy Miller, and Ramona the Pest will be thrilled to meet Marisol. Marisol Rainey’s mother was born in the Philippines. Marisol’s father works and lives part-time on an oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico. And Marisol, who has a big imagination and likes to name inanimate objects, has a tree in her backyard she calls Peppina . . . but she’s way too scared to climb it. This all makes Marisol the only girl in her small Louisiana town with a mother who was born elsewhere and a father who lives elsewhere (most of the time)—the only girl who’s fearful of adventure and fun. Will Marisol be able to salvage her summer and have fun with Jada, her best friend? Maybe. Will Marisol figure out how to get annoying Evie Smythe to leave her alone? Maybe. Will Marisol ever get to spend enough real time with her father? Maybe. Will Marisol find the courage to climb Peppina? Maybe. Told in short chapters with illustrations by the author on nearly every page, Maybe, Maybe Marisol Rainey is a must-have for early elementary grade readers. Erin Entrada Kelly celebrates the small but mighty Marisol, the joys of friendship, and the triumph of overcoming your fears in this stunning new novel for readers of Kevin Henkes, Meg Medina, Andrew Clements, Sara Pennypacker, and Kate DiCamillo.

Marisol Rainey's two least-favorite things are radishes and gym class. She avoids radishes with very little trouble, but gym is another story--especially when Coach Decker announces that they will be learning to play kickball. There are so many things that can go wrong in kickball. What if Marisol tries to kick the ball . . . but falls down? What if she tries to catch the ball and gets smacked in the nose? What if she's the worst kickballer in the history of kickball? Marisol and her best friend Jada decide to get help from the most unlikely--and most annoying--athlete in the world: Marisol's big brother, Oz.

When a neighbor's big, scary dog goes missing, it seems like only Marisol is worried he's up to no good. But is there more to this lost-dog story than meets the eye? From award-winning author Erin Entrada Kelly, “Only Only Marisol Rainey” is a highly illustrated young middle-grade novel about friendship, facing your fears, and the power of compassion, friendship, and empathy. This stand-alone companion to “Maybe Maybe Marisol Rainey” and “Surely Surely Marisol Rainey” is perfect for fans of “Ivy + Bean”, “Merci Suárez”, and “Ramona”. A dangerous beast is on the loose in Marisol Rainey's neighborhood! At least, Marisol thinks it's a dangerous beast. She's never actually met the neighbor's dog officially, but surely a big German shepherd can't be anything else. That's why she and her BFF Jada nicknamed him “Daggers.” When the Missing Dog posters around town reveal that his real name is Gregory, Marisol's fears don't ease up one bit. He may be Gregory at home, but when he's freely roaming the neighborhood with nothing to hold him back, he's Daggers and nothing else. When Marisol tries to sleep, the image of Daggers and his sharp teeth comes to mind. Marisol doesn't even want to ride her bike anymore. What if Daggers leaps out of the bushes, knocks her over, and eats her? She feels like she can't rest until she knows Daggers has been returned to her neighbor's backyard. Strangely, no one else seems all that concerned for their safety. Only Marisol. Is Daggers big and super scary looking? Maybe. Is Marisol afraid? Surely. Will she eventually learn that there's more to Daggers than meets the eye? Only if she faces her fears.