Miss Quinces

Miss Quinces by Kat Fajardo is a debut middle-grade graphic novel published by Scholastic in 2022, featuring 234 pages in English. This humorous and heartfelt story follows Sue, a girl who would prefer to spend her summer reading and creating comics at sleepaway camp, but instead finds herself in Honduras visiting relatives with her family. As her mother announces a surprise quinceañera celebration for her, Sue grapples with the expectations of family and cultural traditions that she would rather avoid.

Readers will discover Sue’s journey as she navigates the challenges of adolescence and the complexities of multigenerational family dynamics. The narrative explores themes of identity and cultural expectations, all while providing a comedic take on Sue’s reluctance to embrace her quinceañera. With its engaging illustrations and relatable storyline, Miss Quinces offers insight into the experiences of girls and women within Caribbean and Latin American contexts, making it a notable addition to the juvenile fiction and graphic novel genres.