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The Epic Fail of Arturo Zamora

Author Pablo Cartaya
Look inside
Paperback
$8.99 US
Penguin Young Readers | Puffin Books
5.06"W x 7.75"H x 0.66"D  
On sale Apr 03, 2018 | 272 Pages | 978-1-101-99725-3
| Grade 5 & Up
Reading Level: Lexile 750L
Add to cart Add to list Exam Copies
See Additional Formats
  • English Language Arts > Genre: Fiction > Family > Multigenerational
  • English Language Arts > Genre: Fiction > People & Places by Group > Hispanic & Latinx
  • English Language Arts > Genre: Fiction > Social Themes > Emotions & Feelings
  • Social Studies > Anthropology > People and Cultures in the United States > Latinx American
  • About
  • Author
  • Guides
  • Praise
  • Media
A 2018 Pura Belpré Author Honor Book

Save the restaurant. Save the town. Get the girl. Make Abuela proud. Can thirteen-year-old Arturo Zamora do it all or is he in for a BIG, EPIC FAIL? 

For Arturo, summertime in Miami means playing basketball until dark, sipping mango smoothies, and keeping cool under banyan trees. And maybe a few shifts as junior lunchtime dishwasher at Abuela’s restaurant. Maybe. But this summer also includes Carmen, a poetry enthusiast who moves into Arturo’s apartment complex and turns his stomach into a deep fryer. He almost doesn’t notice the smarmy land developer who rolls into town and threatens to change it. Arturo refuses to let his family and community go down without a fight, and as he schemes with Carmen, Arturo discovers the power of poetry and protest through untold family stories and the work of José Martí.

Funny and poignant, The Epic Fail of Arturo Zamora is the vibrant story of a family, a striking portrait of a town, and one boy's quest to save both, perfect for fans of Rita Williams-Garcia.
© Jean-Paul Mallozzi
Pablo Cartaya is an award-winning author, speaker, actor, and educator. In 2018, he recieved a Pura Belpré Author Honor for his middle grade novel, The Epic Fail of Arturo Zamora. His second novel, Marcus Vega Doesn't Speak Spanish, is available now. Learn more about Pablo at pablocartaya.com and follow him on Twitter @phcartaya. View titles by Pablo Cartaya
Discussion Guide for The Epic Fail of Arturo Zamora

Provides questions, discussion topics, suggested reading lists, introductions and/or author Q&As, which are intended to enhance reading groups’ experiences. Some young-adult specific guides may be correlated to Common Core State Standards (CCSS).

(Please note: the guide displayed here is the most recently uploaded version; while unlikely, any page citation discrepancies between the guide and book is likely due to pagination differences between a book’s different formats.)

Read More
A 2018 Pura Belpré Author Honor Book
An E.B. White Read-Aloud Middle Reader Award finalist
A 2018 Bank Street Best Children's Book of the Year
Amazon Best Children's Books of 2017
Publishers Weekly Flying Start
Kirkus Reviews Best Fiction of 2017
Chicago Public Library Best Book on 2017
NYPL Best Books for Kids 2017
2017 Nerdy Book Award Winner
2018 Texas Lone Star Reading List Selection
2018-2019 Dorothy Canfield Fisher Children’s Book Award Nominee
2018-2019 Sunshine State Young Readers Award Nominee
Charlotte Observer Best Books of 2017 for Young Readers
News & Observer Best Books for Young Readers

Praise for The Epic Fail of Arturo Zamora by Pablo Cartaya:


"Irresistibly exquisite."
—Kirkus Reviews, starred review

"At turns funny, beautiful, and heartbreaking... engrossing."
—Booklist, starred review

"A vibrant debut novel about family, friendship, and community."
—Publishers Weekly, starred review

"Pablo Cartaya's sensational debut is a love letter to boyhood, poetry, and family. Quite simply, this is the book I've been waiting for."
—Matt de la Peña, New York Times bestselling and Newbery Medal–winning author of The Last Stop on Market Street

"This story of hope will make you laugh, cry, sigh, and cheer for brave Arturo and his whole cool familia. Along the way, you'll end up hungry for Cuban food, ravenous for poetry, and determined to stand up to bullies who try to destroy communities. ¡Bravo!"
—Margarita Engle, Newbery Honor–winning author of The Surrender Tree

“In this story of family and community and the first blush of love, Pablo Cartaya weaves together a tenderness of poetry, food, and home.  Our young hero Arturo reminds us of what counts in this life, and his story is a heart-song.”
—Kathi Appelt, Newbery Honor winner, National Book Award finalist, and New York Times bestselling author

“Arturo Zamora proves that words have the power to win some of the biggest fights. The Epic Fail of Arturo Zamora is an epic success!” 
—Christina Diaz Gonzalez, award-winning author of The Red Umbrella

Author Pablo Cartaya and THE EPIC FAIL OF ARTURO ZAMORA

About

A 2018 Pura Belpré Author Honor Book

Save the restaurant. Save the town. Get the girl. Make Abuela proud. Can thirteen-year-old Arturo Zamora do it all or is he in for a BIG, EPIC FAIL? 

For Arturo, summertime in Miami means playing basketball until dark, sipping mango smoothies, and keeping cool under banyan trees. And maybe a few shifts as junior lunchtime dishwasher at Abuela’s restaurant. Maybe. But this summer also includes Carmen, a poetry enthusiast who moves into Arturo’s apartment complex and turns his stomach into a deep fryer. He almost doesn’t notice the smarmy land developer who rolls into town and threatens to change it. Arturo refuses to let his family and community go down without a fight, and as he schemes with Carmen, Arturo discovers the power of poetry and protest through untold family stories and the work of José Martí.

Funny and poignant, The Epic Fail of Arturo Zamora is the vibrant story of a family, a striking portrait of a town, and one boy's quest to save both, perfect for fans of Rita Williams-Garcia.

Author

© Jean-Paul Mallozzi
Pablo Cartaya is an award-winning author, speaker, actor, and educator. In 2018, he recieved a Pura Belpré Author Honor for his middle grade novel, The Epic Fail of Arturo Zamora. His second novel, Marcus Vega Doesn't Speak Spanish, is available now. Learn more about Pablo at pablocartaya.com and follow him on Twitter @phcartaya. View titles by Pablo Cartaya

Guides

Discussion Guide for The Epic Fail of Arturo Zamora

Provides questions, discussion topics, suggested reading lists, introductions and/or author Q&As, which are intended to enhance reading groups’ experiences. Some young-adult specific guides may be correlated to Common Core State Standards (CCSS).

(Please note: the guide displayed here is the most recently uploaded version; while unlikely, any page citation discrepancies between the guide and book is likely due to pagination differences between a book’s different formats.)

Read More

Praise

A 2018 Pura Belpré Author Honor Book
An E.B. White Read-Aloud Middle Reader Award finalist
A 2018 Bank Street Best Children's Book of the Year
Amazon Best Children's Books of 2017
Publishers Weekly Flying Start
Kirkus Reviews Best Fiction of 2017
Chicago Public Library Best Book on 2017
NYPL Best Books for Kids 2017
2017 Nerdy Book Award Winner
2018 Texas Lone Star Reading List Selection
2018-2019 Dorothy Canfield Fisher Children’s Book Award Nominee
2018-2019 Sunshine State Young Readers Award Nominee
Charlotte Observer Best Books of 2017 for Young Readers
News & Observer Best Books for Young Readers

Praise for The Epic Fail of Arturo Zamora by Pablo Cartaya:


"Irresistibly exquisite."
—Kirkus Reviews, starred review

"At turns funny, beautiful, and heartbreaking... engrossing."
—Booklist, starred review

"A vibrant debut novel about family, friendship, and community."
—Publishers Weekly, starred review

"Pablo Cartaya's sensational debut is a love letter to boyhood, poetry, and family. Quite simply, this is the book I've been waiting for."
—Matt de la Peña, New York Times bestselling and Newbery Medal–winning author of The Last Stop on Market Street

"This story of hope will make you laugh, cry, sigh, and cheer for brave Arturo and his whole cool familia. Along the way, you'll end up hungry for Cuban food, ravenous for poetry, and determined to stand up to bullies who try to destroy communities. ¡Bravo!"
—Margarita Engle, Newbery Honor–winning author of The Surrender Tree

“In this story of family and community and the first blush of love, Pablo Cartaya weaves together a tenderness of poetry, food, and home.  Our young hero Arturo reminds us of what counts in this life, and his story is a heart-song.”
—Kathi Appelt, Newbery Honor winner, National Book Award finalist, and New York Times bestselling author

“Arturo Zamora proves that words have the power to win some of the biggest fights. The Epic Fail of Arturo Zamora is an epic success!” 
—Christina Diaz Gonzalez, award-winning author of The Red Umbrella

Media

Author Pablo Cartaya and THE EPIC FAIL OF ARTURO ZAMORA

Additional formats

  • The Epic Fail of Arturo Zamora
    The Epic Fail of Arturo Zamora
    Pablo Cartaya
    $17.99 US
    Hardcover
    May 16, 2017
  • The Epic Fail of Arturo Zamora
    The Epic Fail of Arturo Zamora
    Pablo Cartaya
    $17.99 US
    Hardcover
    May 16, 2017

Other Books by this Author

  • Hope Wins
    Hope Wins
    A Collection of Inspiring Stories for Young Readers
    Gordon Korman, Sarah Mlynowski, Julie Buxbaum, Pablo Cartaya, Veera Hiranandani, Adam Gidwitz, Max Brallier, Tom Angleberger, Matt de la Peña, Rex Ogle, J. C. Cervantes, R.L. Stine, Hena Khan, Stuart Gibbs
    $11.99 US
    Paperback
    May 09, 2023
  • Each Tiny Spark
    Each Tiny Spark
    Pablo Cartaya
    $8.99 US
    Paperback
    Jun 30, 2020
  • Marcus Vega Doesn't Speak Spanish
    Marcus Vega Doesn't Speak Spanish
    Pablo Cartaya
    $8.99 US
    Paperback
    Jul 09, 2019
  • Hope Wins
    Hope Wins
    A Collection of Inspiring Stories for Young Readers
    Gordon Korman, Sarah Mlynowski, Julie Buxbaum, Pablo Cartaya, Veera Hiranandani, Adam Gidwitz, Max Brallier, Tom Angleberger, Matt de la Peña, Rex Ogle, J. C. Cervantes, R.L. Stine, Hena Khan, Stuart Gibbs
    $11.99 US
    Paperback
    May 09, 2023
  • Each Tiny Spark
    Each Tiny Spark
    Pablo Cartaya
    $8.99 US
    Paperback
    Jun 30, 2020
  • Marcus Vega Doesn't Speak Spanish
    Marcus Vega Doesn't Speak Spanish
    Pablo Cartaya
    $8.99 US
    Paperback
    Jul 09, 2019
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