  | Undercover Latina Author: De Leon, Aya | |
| Price: $23.28 | ||
Summary:
Fourteen-year-old Andrea Hernandez-Baldoquin hails from a family of spies working for the Factory, an international organization dedicated to protecting people of color. For her first solo mission, Andrea straightens her hair and goes undercover as Andrea Burke, a white girl, to befriend the estranged son of a dangerous white supremacist. In addition to her Factory training, the assignment calls for a deep dive into the son's interests, all while taking care not to blow her cover.
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| Accelerated Reader Information: Interest Level: MG+ Reading Level: 4.50 Points: 9.0 Quiz: 518422 |
Reviews:
Kirkus Reviews (08/15/22)
School Library Journal (10/01/22)
Booklist (10/01/22)
Full Text Reviews:
School Library Journal - 10/01/2022 Gr 5 Up—Fourteen-year-old Andréa Hernández-Baldoquín comes from a family of spies; they work for The Factory, an international organization that serves people of color. Andréa goes undercover posing as a white teenager in Arizona, trying to infiltrate the high school and befriend Kyle, whose estranged father might be a dangerous white supremacist. With her mother, they become Andrea and Barbara Burke as they assimilate into the community. Andréa finds out that her target, Kyle, is an avid player of an online fantasy card game called Triángulo, and she learns how to play to befriend him. Things get tangled up when she develops feelings for Kyle's Latinx friend, Ramón, but she can't divulge her own Latinx heritage. As a white girl, Andréa observes racism toward the Latinx community from a new perspective and grapples with her hidden identity. Trying not to blow her cover when a potential deadly threat is unearthed, Andréa travels with Kyle to the San Diego ComicCon as characters from Triángulo. An author of spy novels for adults, de Leon tries her hand at her first foray into fiction for younger readers, and she has created a fast-paced, resonant story that touches on inter- and intra-community discrimination. VERDICT A strong selection for gamers and middle graders who enjoy action-packed narratives. With broad appeal to fans of spy novels, this title will engage tweens while offering a thoughtful conversation-starter. Highly recommended.—Michele Shaw - Copyright 2022 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.
