New Releases by Sonia Manzano

A heart-warming interactive storybook from Emmy Award winner and Sesame Street icon Sonia Manzano! Based on the animated show Alma''s Way. Alma misses her Granny Isa''s warm mushy hugs! Granny is her favorite person to play her guessing game with. But Alma knows just what Granny would say. "Don''t hang around with nothing to do. Find someone else to play with you!" Alma tries to find another family member to play with, but everyone is busy. Even her friends in the park are busy! But then, Alma has a way, way, way great idea! Will you play with her? Can you guess the answers in Alma''s guessing game? What is cold to eat and sticky and sweet? That''s right, piragua! Written by Alma''s Way creator and Sesame Street star Sonia Manzano, this adorable book is like a playdate with your child''s favorite character. Alma''s lively story and game help kids remember: "When you don''t know what to do or say, think about it -- that''s Alma''s Way!"

From Pura Belpre Honoree and Emmy-award winning actor Sonia Manzano--best known as "Maria" from Sesame Street--comes the expansive and timeless story of four children who must carve out a path for themselves in the wake of Fidel Castro''s rise to power. Fifteen-time Emmy Award winner and Pura Belpre honoree Sonia Manzano examines the impact of the 1959 Cuban Revolution on four children from very different walks of life. In the wake of a new regime in Cuba, Ana, Miguel, Zulema, and Juan learn to find a place for themselves in a world forever changed. In a tumultuous moment of history, we see the lasting affects of a revolution in Havana, the countryside, Miami, and New York. Through these snapshot stories, we are reminded that regardless of any tumultuous times, we are all forever connected in our humanity.

"A picture book about unity for people around the world"--

The day before Christmas, everyone in Jose''s neighborhood seems grumpy, including his mother who is homesick for Puerto Rico, but when he and his parents return from the pizzeria where they borrowed an oven to cook their roast, the heavenly aroma reminds those they pass of all they have to celebrate.

Pura Belpre Honor winner for The Revolution of Evelyn Serrano and one of America''s most influential Hispanics--''Maria'' on Sesame Street--delivers a beautifully wrought coming-of-age memoir. Set in the 1970s in the Bronx, this is the story of a girl with a dream. Emmy award-winning actress and writer Sonia Manzano plunges us into the daily lives of a Latino family that is loving--and troubled. This is Sonia''s own story rendered with an unforgettable narrative power. When readers meet young Sonia, she is a child living amidst the squalor of a boisterous home that is filled with noisy relatives and nosy neighbors. Each day she is glued to the TV screen that blots out the painful realities of her existence and also illuminates the possibilities that lie ahead. But--click!--when the TV goes off, Sonia is taken back to real-life--the cramped, colorful world of her neighborhood and an alcoholic father. But it is Sonia''s dream of becoming an actress that keeps her afloat among the turbulence of her life and times. Spiced with culture, heartache, and humor, this memoir paints a lasting portrait of a girl''s resilience as she grows up to become an inspiration to millions.

One of America''s most influential Hispanics -- ''Maria'' on Sesame Street -- presents a powerful novel set in New York''s El Barrio in 1969There are two secrets Evelyn Serrano is keeping from her Mami and Papo? her true feelings about growing up in her Spanish Harlem neighborhood, and her attitude about Abuela, her sassy grandmother who''s come from Puerto Rico to live with them. Then, like an urgent ticking clock, events erupt that change everything. The Young Lords, a Puerto Rican activist group, dump garbage in the street and set it on fire, igniting a powerful protest. When Abuela steps in to take charge, Evelyn is thrust into the action. Tempers flare, loyalties are tested. Through it all, Evelyn learns important truths about her Latino heritage and the history makers who shaped a nation. Infused with actual news accounts from the time period, Sonia Manzano has crafted a gripping work of fiction based on her own life growing up during a fiery, unforgettable time in America, when young Latinos took control of their destinies.

Ruthie loves Superman. Ruthie wants to be Superman. And when Ruthie is asked to go spend the afternoon with her aunt, who is about to have a baby any day day now and may need some help., Ruthie seizes the opportunity. It could be her chance to be a hero, should the baby come while she''s visiting! But when Ruthie is out fetching a snack for her aunt, she gets so distracted by a box full of kittens in the bodega that she doesn''t hear her aunt calling for her, nor does she notice the policemen running to the apartment or the ambulance pulling to the curb. When she realizes what''s happened, she''s devastated -- she''s missed her one chance to be a hero! Or has she? Sonia Manzano, best known as "Maria" on Sesame Street, once again captures the warmth, love, and adventures of her childhood Bronx neighborhood.

When Iris, her family, and the neighbors take a trip to Enchanted Lake, everyone brings what they think is needed, but the family dog turns out to present a problem.

Set in the 1950s in the Bronx, this is the story of a girl with a dream. Emmy award-winning actress and writer Sonia Manzano plunges us into the daily lives of a Latino family that is loving--and troubled. She is a child living amidst the squalor of a boisterous home that is filled with noisy relatives and neighbors.