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Surely Surely Marisol Rainey

ebook
1 of 1 copy available
1 of 1 copy available

"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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  • Reviews

    • Booklist

      July 1, 2022
      Grades 2-4 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. And when Coach Decker announces that for the next two weeks they will be learning to play kickball, they dread it more than ever. Marisol's older brother, a soccer player, gives them a little coaching, which boosts their confidence a bit, but Marisol needs even more support to overcomes her fears. She manages to control her anxiety and succeed in kicking the ball only after a heart-to-heart talk with another member of the household: Beans, the cat. Completely accessible even to children who haven't read the first book in the series, Maybe Maybe Marisol Rainey (2021), this concisely written third-person narrative takes readers a little further into Marisol's world by including her experiences at school as well as at home. Kelly's expressive grayscale drawings illustrate this appealing transitional chapter book, an engaging choice for independent readers or for teachers reading aloud to their classes.

      COPYRIGHT(2022) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

    • School Library Journal

      July 22, 2022

      Gr 2-5-Marisol, first introduced in Maybe Maybe Marisol Rainey, returns in this standalone second installment. Marisol and her best friend, Jada, have different lists of what they like and dislike, but they agree on their number one dislike-gym class. When Coach Decker announces that the class will start kickball, a snarky nemesis reminds her that she, Evie, excels in all sports while Marisol does not. The result makes already anxious Marisol even more so. It doesn't help that her father is away working on an oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico, so he can't teach her. But "Dadhead" as they call him (that's how he appears on regular family video chats) suggests that Marisol ask her brother, a confident athlete, for help. Ultimately, Marisol gets help, overcomes her anxiety (even getting off her "brain train," the endless loop of worries), and has a successful kick in a game of kickball. She gets kudos from her friends, the coach, and even Evie. As in the previous entry, Kelly presents plausible, emotionally authentic characters who interact in resonant situations. The third-person present tense narration puts readers right there with Marisol; they will be rooting for her first kick along with her friends and family. VERDICT This middle grade for younger readers is a general purchase for school and public libraries.-Maria B. Salvadore

      Copyright 2022 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

    • Kirkus

      September 1, 2022
      Marisol Rainey is back with more worries. 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. The Brain Train, Marisol's term for her string of thoughts and worries, chugs along, making it hard for her to sleep and focus at school. Surely things would be easier if her dad were home to teach her kickball, but he's on an oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico. But with some helpful ideas and advice from her friends and family, Marisol eventually faces kickball with fewer worries and a little more confidence. This stand-alone companion novel to Maybe Maybe Marisol Rainey (2021) is a charming, delightful story that readers, especially those with fears and strong emotions, will find relatable. Marisol and her friends all have their quirks, like Jada asking "Would you rather?" questions, adding to the fun. The black-and-white illustrations provide humor and help move the story along. Marisol is biracial; her mother is from the Philippines, and her dad presents White. Jada presents Black. Surely surely a book readers will enjoy. (Fiction. 6-9)

      COPYRIGHT(2022) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

    • The Horn Book

      Starred review from July 1, 2022
      Marisol, the anxious heroine of Maybe Maybe Marisol Rainey (rev. 5/21), makes lists of favorite and least favorite things, with gym class -- specifically the kickball unit -- topping the latter. Although she has never played before, she dreads it because she knows that "the spotlight shines on you when you kick. The spotlight shines on you when you pitch...Surely Marisol will burst into flames under all those spotlights." Her worries only grow as classmate Evie brags about her own kickball prowess. Kelly shows her deep understanding of the emotional lives of her characters. When Marisol is angry and embarrassed about Evie's unkind comments and her own poor skills, she lashes out at best friend Jada. "Marisol thought it would make her feel better to snap at Jada, but it doesn't. She only feels worse." 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. Supporting characters -- Marisol's father, away all week working on an oil rig; her athletic older brother, who teaches her the Ultimate Rule of Kickball; classmate Felix, who claims to talk to animals -- are all fully developed and engaging contributors to the lively, realistic, and emotionally honest story. When Marisol finally kicks the ball and makes it to first base, readers will be cheering "way to go, Marisol" along with her classmates, teacher, and family members. Maeve Visser Knoth

      (Copyright 2022 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

    • The Horn Book

      July 1, 2022
      Marisol, the anxious heroine of Maybe Maybe Marisol Rainey (rev. 5/21), makes lists of favorite and least favorite things, with gym class -- specifically the kickball unit -- topping the latter. Although she has never played before, she dreads it because she knows that "the spotlight shines on you when you kick. The spotlight shines on you when you pitch...Surely Marisol will burst into flames under all those spotlights." Her worries only grow as classmate Evie brags about her own kickball prowess. Kelly shows her deep understanding of the emotional lives of her characters. When Marisol is angry and embarrassed about Evie's unkind comments and her own poor skills, she lashes out at best friend Jada. "Marisol thought it would make her feel better to snap at Jada, but it doesn't. She only feels worse." 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. Supporting characters -- Marisol's father, away all week working on an oil rig; her athletic older brother, who teaches her the Ultimate Rule of Kickball; classmate Felix, who claims to talk to animals -- are all fully developed and engaging contributors to the lively, realistic, and emotionally honest story. When Marisol finally kicks the ball and makes it to first base, readers will be cheering "way to go, Marisol" along with her classmates, teacher, and family members. Maeve Visser Knoth

      (Copyright 2022 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

    • The Horn Book

      July 1, 2022
      Marisol, the anxious heroine of Maybe Maybe Marisol Rainey (rev. 5/21), makes lists of favorite and least favorite things, with gym class -- specifically the kickball unit -- topping the latter. Although she has never played before, she dreads it because she knows that "the spotlight shines on you when you kick. The spotlight shines on you when you pitch... Surely Marisol will burst into flames under all those spotlights." Her worries only grow as classmate Evie brags about her own kickball prowess. Kelly shows her deep understanding of the emotional lives of her characters. When Marisol is angry and embarrassed about Evie's unkind comments and her own poor skills, she lashes out at best friend Jada. "Marisol thought it would make her feel better to snap at Jada, but it doesn't. She only feels worse." 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. Supporting characters -- Marisol's father, away all week working on an oil rig; her athletic older brother, who teaches her the Ultimate Rule of Kickball; classmate Felix, who claims to talk to animals -- are all fully developed and engaging contributors to the lively, realistic, and emotionally honest story. When Marisol finally kicks the ball and makes it to first base, readers will be cheering "way to go, Marisol" along with her classmates, teacher, and family members.

      (Copyright 2022 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

Formats

  • Kindle Book
  • OverDrive Read
  • EPUB ebook

Languages

  • English

Levels

  • ATOS Level:4.2
  • Interest Level:4-8(MG)
  • Text Difficulty:2-3

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