Can’t-Wait Wednesday | Running

Can’t Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Wishful Endings where bloggers share the books they can’t wait for. I use it here on my blog to highlight an upcoming release I’m excited for and tell you why it should be on your TBR!

Title: Running

Author: Natalia Sylvester

Publisher: Clarion Books

Release date: July 14, 2020

Goodreads Summary: “When fifteen-year-old Cuban American Mariana Ruiz’s father runs for president, Mari starts to see him with new eyes. A novel about waking up and standing up, and what happens when you stop seeing your dad as your hero—while the whole country is watching.

In this thoughtful, authentic, humorous, and gorgeously written novel about privacy, waking up, and speaking up, Senator Anthony Ruiz is running for president. Throughout his successful political career he has always had his daughter’s vote, but a presidential campaign brings a whole new level of scrutiny to sheltered fifteen-year-old Mariana and the rest of her Cuban American family, from a 60 Minutes–style tour of their house to tabloids doctoring photos and inventing scandals. As tensions rise within the Ruiz family, Mari begins to learn about the details of her father’s political positions, and she realizes that her father is not the man she thought he was.

But how do you find your voice when everyone’s watching? When it means disagreeing with your father—publicly? What do you do when your dad stops being your hero? Will Mari get a chance to confront her father? If she does, will she have the courage to seize it?“

• I’ve been loving all the election-focused YA coming out this year, like Yes No Maybe So and The Voting Booth, so Running is right up my alley!
• I love that the main character is 15! A lot of recent YA has focused on older teens–16 to 18–and as a teen services librarian, I’m always looking for YA that represents younger teens, too (13 to 15).
• Stories about complicated familial relationships, growing up, and realizing that you can have your own views are so necessary for teens
• A young girl of color finding her voice and coming into her own? Yes, please!

• Because you should be supporting women of color authors & stories about teens of color!
• In a time when many authors are writing politically-focused books, we need to be especially supporting the voices of color in this conversation
• Books about resistance are always necessary, but are especially so right now
• Look at that illustrated cover! Those details: Mari’s waves, her hoop earrings, the patch on her jeans! How can you look at that cover and not want to read it?
• Because teens NEED to read stories about finding & using their voice–about finding their power at any age.

 

Is Running by Natalia Sylvester on your TBR?

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