Olor a perfume de viejita

(The Smell of Old Lady Perfume)
By Claudia Guadalupe Martínez, Luis Humberto Crosthwaite
Paperback: $18.95

En esta clásica historia sobre la mayoría de edad, Chela enfrenta los desafíos del sexto grado luego de perder a su padre, su mujer amigo.

In this classic coming-of-age story, Chela faces the challenges of sixth grade after losing her father, her very best friend.

Front cover for The Smell of Old Lady Perfume by Claudia Guadalupe Martínez
This book is also available in English
The Smell of Old Lady Perfume
By Claudia Guadalupe Martínez

Description

La novela para jovenes de Claudia Martínez es una historia agridulce sobre la muerte, familia, y la resistencia de la fuerza emocional del corazón. Chela Gonzalez, la narradora del libro, es una nerd y futbolista que apenas puede contener su emoción de empezar el sexto grado. Pero nada es como se lo había imaginado–su mejor amiga la deja para juntarse con las niñas populares y ellas todas hacen como si no existe Chela. Ella se enfoca en tarea y el consuelo de su familia. Para Chela, su familia es como el sistema solar, con su papá el sol y su mamá, hermanos, y hermana como planetas rodeando alrededor de el. Es el único universo en el que ella encaja.

Pero ese universo es amenazado cuando su papá sufré de un derrame cerebral. La abuela de Chela se viene a vivir con ellos para ayudarles. El olor a perfume de viejita invade la casa. El olor es peor que los domingos. Los domingos eran tristes, pero siempre pasaban, la muerte es otra cosa completa. Chela no entiende es lo que todos están esperando. Entre su tristeza, preocupación, y el olor a perfume de viejita, Chela empieza a descubrirse a si misma, y encuentra su propia fuerza.

Chela Gonzalez is a nerd and a soccer player who can barely contain her excitement about beginning the sixth grade. But nothing is as she imagined. Her best friend turns on her to join the popular girls, and they all act like she doesn’t exist. Chela buries herself in schoolwork and the warm comfort of her family. To Chela, her family is a solar system with her father the sun and her mother, brothers, and sister like planets rotating around him. It’s the only universe in which she fits in.

But this universe is threatened when her father has a stroke. Chela’s grandmother moves in to help the family, and the smell of her old lady perfume invades the house. The smell is like Sundays, sad, but sure to pass. Death, however, is a whole other thing, and Chela doesn’t realize it’s what everyone is waiting for. Can Chela find her strength amidst her grief and worry and the smell of old lady perfume?

A bittersweet story about death, family, and the resilient emotional strength of the human heart.

About the Creators

Claudia Guadalupe Martínez

Claudia Guadalupe Martínez has called Mexico and the US home. Her core childhood memories are set in El Paso, Texas. This dynamic of growing up between borders inspires her writing. She is the recipient of two Texas Institute of Letters Best Young Adult Book Awards, a Paterson Prize for Books for Young People, an Américas Award Commendation, a Junior Library Guild Award, and multiple starred reviews. She now lives with her family in Illinois. You can find her at claudiaguadalupemartinez.com.

Luis Humberto Crosthwaite

Luis Humberto Crosthwaite was born in Tijuana, Mexico. A journalist and jefe at a small press called Yoremito, he has also worked on a number of highly acclaimed translations such as Olor a perfume de viejita and Still Dreaming/Seguimos Soñando. Whoever looks into his heart would see the Pacific Ocean--ah, those beautiful sunsets! He lives with his family in the same town that he was born.

Reviews

  • "Readers will also find the book's loving portrayal of Chela's family, its nicely realized setting, and its artful exploration of the problems of assimilation to be both engaging and heartfelt."

    - Booklist
  • "This is a sweet coming-of-age story, telling of the cruelties of children toward one another and dealing with the loss of a parent. The story should appeal to readers dealing with their own tween years."

    - School Library Journal
  • "The Smell of Old Lady Perfume is a touching story that will teach lessons on loss, family, loneliness, and the importance of being oneself. . . The novel's easy language reads like genuine narration from a sixth grader and complements the story's complex themes."

    - Foreword Reviews

Paperback

  • ISBN 9781941026960
  • Price $18.95
  • Publication Date Nov 20, 2018
  • Trim Size 7 × 5 in
  • Weight 0.5 lbs
  • Page Count 224
  • Interests

  • Imprint Cinco Puntos Press
  • Audience Middle Grade
  • BISAC Category 1 JUV / Family / Parents
  • BISAC Category 2 JUV / People & Places / United States / Hispanic & Latino
  • BISAC Category 3 JUV / Girls & Women
  • Themes Coping with Death, Families, Fathers, Fiction, Friendship, Grandparents, Latinx / Latino / Hispanic, Middle Grade, Realistic Fiction, Spanish
  • Reading Levels

  • Age Range Ages 8 - 13
  • Grade Range Grades 3 - 8
  • Guided Reading U
  • Spanish Guided Reading U
  • DRA 44
  • Interest Level Grades 3 - 8
  • Lexile Level 710
  • Reading Level Grades 4 - 5
  • Bebop Reading Fluent
  • This Book is Included in These Collections:

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