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About What If A Fish
Product Description A whimsical and unflinchingly honest generational story of family and identity where hats turn into leeches, ghosts blow kisses from lemon trees, and the things you find at the end of your fishing line might not be a fish at all. Half-Colombian Eddie Aguado has never really felt Colombian. Especially after Papa died. And since Mama keeps her memories of Papa locked up where Eddie can’t get to them, he only has Papa’s third-place fishing tournament medal to remember him by. He’ll have to figure out how to be more Colombian on his own. As if by magic, the perfect opportunity arises. Eddie—who’s never left Minnesota—is invited to spend the summer in Colombia with his older half-brother. But as his adventure unfolds, he feels more and more like a fish out of water. Figuring out how to be a true colombiano might be more difficult than he thought. From School Library Journal Gr 4–6—Life is changing rapidly for Eddie Aguado in Fajardo's middle grade debut. His Colombian father died when Eddie was only four, and he's since lived with his white, American mother in Minnesota. As Eddie navigates evolving friendships and tries to support his mother by winning a fishing contest (despite not knowing how to fish), Eddie's half-brother calls with news about his abuela in Colombia. Eddie travels to Colombia to spend time with both his brother and his abuela, with whom he forms a distinct bond despite the brevity of the relationship. When abuela passes, Eddie and his brother traverse literal and metaphorical waters to find home and family, together. Fajardo doesn't shy away from conversations about grief and racism, and provides context and support for those experiences. Among them is Eddie's struggle with racist bullying. Some ethnic slurs are used throughout, but Fajardo handles it gracefully—their inclusion feels appropriate both for the audience and within the context of the book. Slivers of magic weave through the narrative, but this isn't a fantasy. Whether the elements are real, imagined, or something else is entirely up to the reader. Many will identify with Eddie as he struggles with his Colombian identity, and others will learn a great deal through his internal dialogue. VERDICT A whimsical and inviting #OwnVoices story of family, friendship, and identity. Recommended as a general purchase.—Taylor Worley, Springfield P.L., OR Review "Poetic and believable. Multilayered and convincing, the book will have readers rooting for its sweet and smart protagonist." -- Kirkus Reviews ― May 15, 2020 "Fajardo’s honest, heartfelt text evokes sorrow and grief but also understanding, navigating the many complexities of identity, friendship, family, loss, and death." -- Booklist ― July 1, 2020 "A whimsical and inviting #OwnVoices story of family, friendship, and identity." -- School Library Journal ― October 2, 2020 "This is a beautifully written tale–a gentle story that explores the depths of grief, the loss of loved ones, the expanses of family, and the building blocks that make all of us human. So what does this have to do with fish, or fishing? Not a whole lot, and everything. I highly recommend you read the book to find out." -- Anjali Sanghvi ― Mr. Alex's bookshelf Minneapolis author Anika Fajardo’s first middle-grade novel mines painful life lessons and in its magical middle section, it sings. -- Trisha Collopy ― Star Tribune About the Author Anika Fajardo was born in Colombia and raised in Minnesota. She wrote a book about that experience, Magical Realism for Non-Believers: A Memoir of Finding Family, which was published by University of Minnesota Press. A writer, editor, and teacher, she lives in the very literary city of Minneapolis. What If a Fish is her first middle grade novel. Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved. Chapter 1 1 THE WATER by the shore smells like the bottom of the garbage pail right after I take out the trash. I scrunch up my nose and head down the woode
