New Spanish-Language Books Releasing in October

A dazzling story full of heart about how one twelve-year-old channels her rage into synchronized swimming dreams, from the author of The Education of Margot Sanchez and Never Look Back, Lilliam Rivera Natalia de la Cruz Rivera y Santiago, also known as Nat, was swimming neighborhood kids out of their money at the local Boyle Heights pool when her life changed. The L.A. Mermaids performed, emerging out of the water with matching sequined swimsuits, and it was then that synchronized swimming stole her heart. The problem? Her activist mom and professor dad think it’s a sport with too much emphasis on looks—on being thin and white. Nat grew up the youngest in a house full of boys, so she knows how to fight for what she wants, using her anger to fuel her. People often underestimate her swimming skills when they see her stomach rolls, but she knows better than to worry about what people think. Sometimes, she feels more like a submarine than a mermaid, but she wonders if she could be both. Barely Floating explores what it means to sparkle in your skin, build community with those who lift you up, and keep floating when waters get rough.

A world of fun, secrets, and a little bit of drama is coming! The Besties Club is here! There’s a new rule at Lola, Isi, and Zoe’s school: during this new school year, students are not allowed to use their phones, either in class or at home. This is a total tragedy! How are they going to survive AN ENTIRE YEAR without cell phones? Luckily, they have an incredible idea: turn a simple notebook into a diary with which they can chat with each other during classes. So, while they pretend to take notes, the diary is passed from student to student and is filled with laughter, tears, complaints, gossip, and drawings. It seems like this year will be quite intense, but the girls of The Besties Club are ready for anything—with the help of their diary!

It’s 2032, and in this near-future America, all citizens are chipped and everyone is tracked. It’s almost impossible to survive as an undocumented immigrant, but that’s exactly what sixteen-year-old Vali is doing. She and her family have carved out a stable, happy life in small-town Vermont, but when Vali’s mother’s counterfeit chip starts malfunctioning and the Deportation Forces raid their town, they are forced to flee. Now on the run, Vali and her family are desperately trying to make it to her tía Luna’s in California, a sanctuary state that is currently being walled off from the rest of the country. But when Vali’s mother is detained before their journey even really begins, Vali must carry on with her younger brother across the country to make it to safety before it’s too late. Gripping and urgent, co-authors Paola Mendoza and Abby Sher have crafted a narrative that is as haunting as it is hopeful in envisioning a future where everyone can find sanctuary.

Grab your bags and join Valeria and Silvana on this unforgettable adventure! Hello, boys and girls! It was complicated, but… I found it! The best gift ever for the best sister in the world. We’re going on a surprise trip! But it looks like it’ll be a bumpy ride. The plane… isn’t arriving at its destination! Will we manage to make it there and enjoy our vacation?