Dear friends: Today I’m excited to offer a sneak peak at my forthcoming middle-grade novel. This story comes straight out of my heart, and I can’t wait to share it with you! The release date is July 10, 2018.

Here is how my publisher, Candlewick Press, describes it:

Inspired by the author’s own story of growing up as an Argentinian immigrant in Alabama, My Year in the Middle introduces a sixth-grade girl with a newfound gift for running track—and a growing sense of racial injustice.

Lu Olivera just wants to keep her head down and get along with everyone in her class. Trouble is, Lu’s old friends have been changing lately—acting boy crazy and making snide remarks about Lu’s talent for running. Lu’s secret hope for a new friend is fellow runner Belinda Gresham, but in 1970 in Red Grove, Alabama, blacks and whites don’t mix. As segregationist ex-governor George Wallace ramps up his campaign against the current governor, Albert Brewer, growing tensions in the state—and the classroom—mean that Lu can’t stay neutral about the racial divide at school. Will Lu find the gumption to stand up for what’s right and to choose friends who do the same?

Three wonderful Latina authors took time out of their incredibly busy lives and wrote the following blurbs. I cannot thank them enough!

“My Year in the Middle is both powerful and sensitive, offering a unique view of important historical events through the eyes of an immigrant girl who longs for social justice, friendship, and romance.” —Margarita Engle, Young People’s Poet Laureate and Newbery Honor-winning author of The Surrender Tree

“A timely and powerful story, My Year in the Middle conjures an era of American racism and shows how a strong immigrant girl can make a difference in her community. This is a book that will resonate for young readers in these fraught times.” —Ruth Behar,  author of Lucky Broken Girl

“Wonderful! A heart-touching story with a spunky heroine who shows her grit and determination during troubling times. I was cheering for Lu from beginning to end!” —Christina Diaz Gonzalez, award-winning author of The Red Umbrella and the Moving Target series

Now that you’ve gotten a glimpse of the story, I invite you to scroll down to see the cover. Its creator is Matt Roeser, art director and designer extraordinaire!

*

*

Keep scrolling!

*

*

Almost there!

*

Behold!

My favorite thing about it: Matt captured the essence of a girl caught in the middle of two seemingly irreconcilable worlds.

Huge thanks to Latinxs in Kid Lit for hosting this reveal! Please share this news with someone you know who digs kid lit!

Lila Quintero Weaver is the author-illustrator of Darkroom: A Memoir in Black & White. She was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Darkroom recounts her family’s immigrant experience in small-town Alabama during the tumultuous 1960s. It is her first major publication and will be available in Spanish in January 2018. Her next book is My Year in the Middle, a middle-grade novel scheduled for release in July 2018 (Candlewick). Lila is a regular contributor to this blog and one of its founding members. She and her husband, Paul, are the parents of three grown children. For news on events and publications, see her website, or follow her on Facebook, or Twitter .