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A review by sasha_in_a_box
Carmela Full of Wishes by Matt de la Peña
3.0
I was rearing to love this after Last Stop on Market Street, but was oddly underwhelmed and disappointed. Carmela's immersion in the community wasn't as profound, and her relationship with her companion, older brother (as opposed to grandma) was less organic and kind of problematic. Which is fine, our relationships aren't perfect and older brothers are entitled, nay, sometimes required to be annoyed by their little sisters - but that wasn't addressed and I really wish it had, especially when he left her on the side of the street to go inside his friend's house.
The biggest thing that bothered me is that throughout the book, Carmela is enjoying the jangly bracelets she got for her birthday, but they clearly irritate her brother. Instead of, you know, him learning that she's a cute 8-year-old and she should be who she is, Carmela (in shame?) takes them off at the end so as to no longer bother him. Very odd message that left me feeling gross.
5 glowing stars for the art, deflated balloon for the story.
The biggest thing that bothered me is that throughout the book, Carmela is enjoying the jangly bracelets she got for her birthday, but they clearly irritate her brother. Instead of, you know, him learning that she's a cute 8-year-old and she should be who she is, Carmela (in shame?) takes them off at the end so as to no longer bother him. Very odd message that left me feeling gross.
5 glowing stars for the art, deflated balloon for the story.