Maybe Maybe Marisol Rainey

Introducing eight-year-old Marisol Rainey—an irresistible new character from Newbery Medalist and New York Times–bestselling Erin Entrada Kelly! Maybe, Maybe Marisol Rainey is an illustrated novel about summer, friendship, and overcoming fears, told with warm humor and undeniable appeal.

In a starred review, School Library Journal calls Maybe Maybe Marisol Rainey “a great read for upper elementary children” that “will keep even the most reluctant readers entertained.” Fans of Clementine, The Year of Billy Miller, and Ramona the Pest will be thrilled to meet Marisol. This Indie Next Pick Features black-and-white art throughout by Erin Entrada Kelly.

Marisol Rainey’s mother was born in the Philippines. Marisol’s father works and lives part-time on an oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico. And Marisol, who has a big imagination and likes to name inanimate objects, has a tree in her backyard named Peppina . . . but she’s way too scared to climb it. This all makes Marisol the only girl in her small Louisiana town with a mother who was born elsewhere and a father who lives elsewhere (most of the time)—and the only girl who’s fearful of adventure and fun.

Will Marisol be able to salvage her summer and have fun with Jada, her best friend? Maybe. Will Marisol figure out how to get annoying Evie Smythe to leave her alone? Maybe. Will Marisol ever get to spend enough real time with her father? Maybe. Will Marisol find the courage to climb Peppina? Maybe.

Told in short chapters, with illustrations by the author on almost every page, Maybe Maybe Marisol Rainey is a must-have for early elementary grade readers. Erin Entrada Kelly celebrates the small but mighty Marisol, the joys of friendship, and the triumph of overcoming your fears, in this effervescent novel for readers of Kevin Henkes, Meg Medina, Andrew Clements, Judy Blume, and Kate DiCamillo.