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crystal_reading's review against another edition
5.0
Review originally posted at Reading Through Life - http://readingtl.blogspot.com/2015/05/review-yaqui-delgado-wants-to-kick-your.html
Meg Medina does an excellent job of bringing us into Piddy's world. Piddy enjoys school, especially science courses and wants to work with animals someday. She's Latina, but when she transfers to a new school, she doesn't think she'll fit in with the Latina crowd. She never gets a chance to try. Before long, Yaqui and her gang are not only excluding her, they are targeting Piddy.
Piddy has no idea how to handle this, but her primary method is keeping her mother and adults in the school out of it. She fears that it will only get worse if those particular adults get involved. Fortunately, Piddy also has Lila to turn to in a crisis. Lila, a family friend, is a strong woman with a lot of love and support for Piddy.
Piddy has to decide who she is going to be and how she can make that happen. This book is a wonderful look at the experience of bullying and the many far reaching effects it can have on a person. It isn't just the physical effects that matter. The bruises and other damage are only one part of it. The constant fear can affect relationships, academics, and so much more.
For students going through bullying, this will be a book that shows them they aren't alone in their experience. For others, it is a huge reminder that the bystanders are choosing to be either part of the problem or part of the solution.
Recommendation: If you haven't read it yet, get it as soon as you can. I enjoyed the audiobook, but did prefer reading the hardcopy myself. Piddy's voice is real and I wanted to know more about her. I wanted to spend more time with this girl who was finding herself and working through this very difficult situation.
Extra: I was able to talk to Meg Medina a while ago and posted that interview over at Rich in Color. In it, she shares that the book is based on some experiences in her own life. You can read that interview here: http://richincolor.com/2013/07/meet-meg-medina/.
Meg Medina does an excellent job of bringing us into Piddy's world. Piddy enjoys school, especially science courses and wants to work with animals someday. She's Latina, but when she transfers to a new school, she doesn't think she'll fit in with the Latina crowd. She never gets a chance to try. Before long, Yaqui and her gang are not only excluding her, they are targeting Piddy.
Piddy has no idea how to handle this, but her primary method is keeping her mother and adults in the school out of it. She fears that it will only get worse if those particular adults get involved. Fortunately, Piddy also has Lila to turn to in a crisis. Lila, a family friend, is a strong woman with a lot of love and support for Piddy.
Piddy has to decide who she is going to be and how she can make that happen. This book is a wonderful look at the experience of bullying and the many far reaching effects it can have on a person. It isn't just the physical effects that matter. The bruises and other damage are only one part of it. The constant fear can affect relationships, academics, and so much more.
For students going through bullying, this will be a book that shows them they aren't alone in their experience. For others, it is a huge reminder that the bystanders are choosing to be either part of the problem or part of the solution.
Recommendation: If you haven't read it yet, get it as soon as you can. I enjoyed the audiobook, but did prefer reading the hardcopy myself. Piddy's voice is real and I wanted to know more about her. I wanted to spend more time with this girl who was finding herself and working through this very difficult situation.
Extra: I was able to talk to Meg Medina a while ago and posted that interview over at Rich in Color. In it, she shares that the book is based on some experiences in her own life. You can read that interview here: http://richincolor.com/2013/07/meet-meg-medina/.
deservingporcupine's review against another edition
5.0
Really, really good. Sometimes YA authors don’t take the chances you hope they will, or get so bogged down in the issues their books are trying to tackle that their characters don’t feel right. This was not the case at all for this story — Piddy came first and I cared about the issues because I was rooting for her. As a teacher, this book is a valuable conversation starter about discipline.
literatehedgehog's review against another edition
3.0
If A.S. King books got together with Gabi, A Girl in Pieces and Melina Marchetta books.
An enthralling, emotional read that rides the "issue book" line - carrying stereotypes about Latinas and untrustworthy Latino men, flirting with body image, and of course the big whammy, bullying. (Note, I'm using the word bullying as defined as physical or emotional aggression towards someone that happens over time. It often involves power play through social media and relationships).
As a teacher, I don't love the way some of the teachers react (or more poignantly, don't), but that's part of the point. Not all bullying is noticeable. Then even if it is noticed, not everyone will do something about it.
As I'm not Latina, I can't speak to the accuracy of Medina's family and cultural portrayals, but I do wonder how women of color might feel the limited roles of Latino men in the novel. Of the three we meet or at least hear about, one lies about a current marriage, another beats his wife, and the third is a cop dating a gorgeous woman with a reputation for not settling down. Additionally, i first felt conflicted, then I appreciated and maybe better understood, why the bully was another Latina girl. There was a passing mention of tensions between the countries they are connected to, but that (nor race, ethnicity in general) was not presumably the basis for the bullying.
There were a few other things I had questionable thoughts about - but overall a good (if not emotionally enjoyable) and necessary read.
An enthralling, emotional read that rides the "issue book" line - carrying stereotypes about Latinas and untrustworthy Latino men, flirting with body image, and of course the big whammy, bullying. (Note, I'm using the word bullying as defined as physical or emotional aggression towards someone that happens over time. It often involves power play through social media and relationships).
As a teacher, I don't love the way some of the teachers react (or more poignantly, don't), but that's part of the point. Not all bullying is noticeable. Then even if it is noticed, not everyone will do something about it.
As I'm not Latina, I can't speak to the accuracy of Medina's family and cultural portrayals, but I do wonder how women of color might feel the limited roles of Latino men in the novel. Of the three we meet or at least hear about, one lies about a current marriage, another beats his wife, and the third is a cop dating a gorgeous woman with a reputation for not settling down. Additionally, i first felt conflicted, then I appreciated and maybe better understood, why the bully was another Latina girl. There was a passing mention of tensions between the countries they are connected to, but that (nor race, ethnicity in general) was not presumably the basis for the bullying.
There were a few other things I had questionable thoughts about - but overall a good (if not emotionally enjoyable) and necessary read.
dlberglund's review against another edition
4.0
This book has a lot going for it. It was hard for me to evaluate analytically, however, because I kept personalizing the bullying struggle...how am I, as an educator, supposed to stop these insane types of escalating bullying? This is a frightening kind, and one I've seen in smaller doses- the person without a logical reason that is in the bullied person's control. (Not that there are many kinds of bullying that make sense.) Each time she upped her bullying game, I looked harder around me and wondered if I could be as clueless as the educators in the book. How do we make school safe for each kid? How do I protect the Piddies and fill up the Yaquis in ways that prevent them from turning against others?
I thought the portrayal of Yaqui was somewhat simplistic (wrong side of the tracks, dysfunctional and possibly completely absent family) but I was glad there wasn't a gushy 'let's all make up' moment. In reality, we don't get to see and heal the emotional baggage of our bullies, and I didn't want this book to turn into an after school special.
I thought the portrayal of Yaqui was somewhat simplistic (wrong side of the tracks, dysfunctional and possibly completely absent family) but I was glad there wasn't a gushy 'let's all make up' moment. In reality, we don't get to see and heal the emotional baggage of our bullies, and I didn't want this book to turn into an after school special.
lanamosk's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
melissapalmer404's review against another edition
5.0
Book #49 Read in 2015
Yaqui Delgado Wants to Kick Your Ass by Meg Medina (YA)
Piddy has recently changed high schools. Almost immediately, for no reason that she can think of, resident bad girl Yaqui Delgado is rumored to want to fight Piddy. Piddy begins to be bullied and harassed by Yaqui and her group of girls. Piddy doesn't want to admit it and by not doing so, her grades begin to flounder and her personality changes drastically. This book shows how difficult high school can be on students and the effect that bullying has on its victims. It was a powerful read and I think high school girls especially would love it.
http://melissasbookpicks.blogspot.com
Yaqui Delgado Wants to Kick Your Ass by Meg Medina (YA)
Piddy has recently changed high schools. Almost immediately, for no reason that she can think of, resident bad girl Yaqui Delgado is rumored to want to fight Piddy. Piddy begins to be bullied and harassed by Yaqui and her group of girls. Piddy doesn't want to admit it and by not doing so, her grades begin to flounder and her personality changes drastically. This book shows how difficult high school can be on students and the effect that bullying has on its victims. It was a powerful read and I think high school girls especially would love it.
http://melissasbookpicks.blogspot.com
avaree's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
2.75
This book was pretty good but didn’t really like the ending. Thought it was kinda ridiculous that there were no consequences for the bully.
msseviereads's review against another edition
5.0
Love! This was a great book and I highly recommend. The title will gather the attention, but the story holds up and I think it is an important read.
elehuiliztli's review against another edition
5.0
A teenage story in Queens
Beautiful prose that paint the story a struggling teen in Queens. The dreams that enfolds had me gripped to each line. I became Piddy. I became her mother having my own nightmares of teenage angst and rebellion. Piddy is triumphant against bullies and against her own demons.
Beautiful prose that paint the story a struggling teen in Queens. The dreams that enfolds had me gripped to each line. I became Piddy. I became her mother having my own nightmares of teenage angst and rebellion. Piddy is triumphant against bullies and against her own demons.