Surely Surely Marisol Rainey
"Anyone who has ever had trouble feeling brave will be empowered by Marisol."--NBC News
"Lively, realistic, and emotionally honest."--The Horn Book (starred review)
"Engaging."--Booklist
Everyone loves sports . . . except Marisol! The stand-alone companion to Newbery Medal winner and New York Times-bestselling Erin Entrada Kelly's Maybe Maybe Marisol Rainey is an irresistible and humorous story about friendship, family, and fitting in. Fans of Clementine, Billy Miller Makes a Wish, and Ramona the Pest will find a new friend in Marisol.
Marisol Rainey's two least-favorite things are radishes and gym class. She avoids radishes with very little trouble, but gym is another story--especially when Coach Decker announces that they will be learning to play kickball.
There are so many things that can go wrong in kickball. What if Marisol tries to kick the ball . . . but falls down? What if she tries to catch the ball and gets smacked in the nose? What if she's the worst kickballer in the history of kickball? Marisol and her best friend Jada decide to get help from the most unlikely--and most annoying--athlete in the world: Marisol's big brother, Oz.
Told in short chapters with illustrations by the author on almost every page, Erin Entrada Kelly's stand-alone companion novel to Maybe Maybe Marisol Rainey celebrates the small but mighty Marisol, the joys of friendship, the power of being different, and the triumph of persevering. Surely Surely Marisol Rainey is ideal for readers of Kevin Henkes, Meg Medina, Judy Blume, and Beverly Cleary.
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Erin Entrada Kelly was awarded the Newbery Medal for Hello, Universe and a Newbery Honor for We Dream of Space. She grew up in Lake Charles, Louisiana, and now lives in Delaware. She is a professor of children's literature in the graduate fiction and publishing programs at Rosemont College, where she earned her MFA, and is on the faculty at Hamline University. Her short fiction has been nominated for the Philippines Free Press Literary Award for Short Fiction and the Pushcart Prize. Before becoming a children's author, Erin worked as a journalist and magazine editor and received numerous awards for community service journalism, feature writing, and editing from the Louisiana Press Association and the Associated Press.
Erin Entrada Kelly's debut novel, Blackbird Fly, was a Kirkus Best Book, a School Library Journal Best Book, an ALSC Notable Book, and an Asian/Pacific American Literature Honor Book. She is also the author of The Land of Forgotten Girls, winner of the Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature; You Go First, a Spring 2018 Indie Next Pick; Lalani of the Distant Sea, an Indie Next Pick; Those Kids from Fawn Creek, named to numerous best-of-the-year lists; and three acclaimed novels for younger readers, Maybe Maybe Marisol Rainey, Surely Surely Marisol Rainey, and Only Only Marisol Rainey, which she also illustrated. She lives in Delaware.
"[Marisol] makes lists of favorite and least favorite things, with gym class--specifically the kickball unit--topping the latter. . . . Kelly shows her deep understanding of the emotional lives of her characters. . . . The action takes place over two weeks, during which Marisol tries a variety of techniques to first avoid and then overcome (at least a little) her fears. . . . A lively, realistic, and emotionally honest story." -- Horn Book (starred review)
"Erin Entrada Kelly tells the sweet story of a girl who is afraid of taking risks in this delightful stand-alone follow-up to Maybe Maybe Marisol Rainey. . . . When Coach Decker announces that they're going to learn how to play kickball for the next two weeks, Marisol feels unsettled. . . . Newbery Medalist Entrada Kelly tells the compassionate story of a girl who is afraid of taking risks. . . . Entrada Kelly delicately covers topics of friendship, self-esteem, and perseverance through difficult and uncomfortable situations. Surely Surely Marisol Rainey is an excellent book."
-- Shelf Awareness (starred review)
"Both Marisol and Jada, her best friend, keep lists of their favorite and least favorite things. Topping each girl's 'Least Favorite Things to Do' list is gym class. . . . An engaging choice for independent readers or for teachers reading aloud to their classes." -- Booklist
"Gym class is Marisol's least favorite thing. She's not great at sports, but for once, she'd like to hear 'Way to go, Marisol!' rather than 'Nice try, Marisol!' or 'Great effort, Marisol!' When their gym teacher announces that they'll be doing a unit on kickball, Marisol and her best friend, Jada, get nervous. . . . But with some helpful ideas and advice from her friends and family, Marisol eventually faces kickball with fewer worries and a little more confidence. . . . A charming, delightful story . . . Surely surely a book readers will enjoy." -- Kirkus Reviews
