Meet Me Halfway

July 1, 2022
In this heartwarming tale, a pair of freshly acquainted half sisters embark on a small adventure to meet their estranged Colombian father. For Mattie, being the new kid in seventh grade gets even weirder when she notices popular Mercedes, who looks almost exactly like her. Mercedes, meanwhile, would rather not draw attention to the fact that dorky Mattie strongly resembles her. When the girls realize they're half sisters who share the same Colombian dad, their discovery flips the script. Having recently moved to California from Minnesota thanks to her mom's marriage to her new stepfather, a man with two sons of his own, anxiety-ridden Mattie is finding it difficult to settle into her blended family. For short-tempered Mercedes, home life also leaves much to be desired: an absent workaholic mom who's always traveling, a little half brother who gets to spend time with his dad, and a fancy, sterile house with a live-in nanny. The opportunity to meet Francisco G�mez Flores, their renowned anthropologist father, lands at their feet when they learn he will be a visiting professor at a nearby college. This novel rests upon a classic premise and treads familiar narrative beats, but thanks to Fajardo's keen writing, Mattie's and Mercedes' journeys as they bond and grow familial ties earns its sweet ending. Though Operation D.A.D. drags on for a comically long time, the author bolsters strong alternating chapters from each girl's perspective with a satisfying portrayal of a family finally brought together. Sweetly woven. (Fiction. 8-12)

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September 1, 2022
Grades 5-8 When classmates Mattie and Mercedes discover they are actually half sisters, it isn't exactly celebratory news. The girls, while they look similar, are polar opposites, and the road to friendship is rocky. But when their curiosity and determination to find their mutual Colombian dad wins out, the girls must work through their differences and join together to finally learn more about their mysterious, absent dad--and meet him. Along the way, as Mattie adjusts to her new home in California and complex stepfamily dynamics, Mercedes realizes her luxurious life is devoid of meaning if she doesn't have genuine friends to share it with, and the girls' rivalry develops into a sort of camaraderie. Fajardo's narrative captures middle-school nostalgia, relatably reflecting the swirl of emotions students typically feel when trying to form friendships, be popular, or find a group to be accepted into. With its grit, humor, voice, and heart, this novel will reach readers who struggle to find peace in their families--biological or chosen.

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October 10, 2022
Half sisters concoct a Parent Trap–tinged plan in this heartwarming novel from Fajardo (What If a Fish). When seventh grader Matilde “Mattie” Gomez is uprooted from Minnesota to live with her new stepfamily in California, she doesn’t expect to meet her doppelgänger on the first day of class. Mercedes Miller is one of the school’s most popular girls, and she knows more than she’s telling about why she and Mattie are nearly identical: they’re half sisters. Despite sharing a father—and a face—they couldn’t be more socially different: anxious Mattie disappears into the background both at school and in her bustling new family; prickly Mercedes, meanwhile, thrives in the spotlight, each night returning to an empty house populated only by a nanny and younger half brother. Neither has met their Colombian father, an anthropologist, and when they learn he’s a visiting professor at a nearby college, they collaborate in order to meet him, sneaking out of a school field trip, dodging security guards, and getting caught in a student protest. Mattie’s and Mercedes’s alternating narration follows their individual internality, skillfully exploring variations on family complexity to culminate in a satisfying novel of sisterhood. Ages 8–12. Agent: Thao Le, Sandra Dijkstra Literary.

December 23, 2022

Gr 3-7-Shy and reserved Matti Gomez has moved to California from Minnesota because of her mother's recent marriage. The tween has gained a new stepfamily, but feels like she's lost herself in the hubbub. Confident and popular Mercedes Miller hasn't seen her jet-setting mother in months and lives with her live-in nanny and half-brother. Total opposites, the girls look like twins, but they soon realize that they do have something in common-a Colombian, anthropologist dad who has never been a part of their lives. The pair formulate a plan to track down their mysterious father at a nearby college where he's teaching. Classic high jinks ensue. As the half-sisters jump through hoops to find the man they've never met but has left a hole they're hoping to fill, the two grow closer and, eventually, forge bonds with each other and their heritage. Told in alternating chapters, this charming middle grade novel balances moments of levity with moments of aching sadness in a way that will resonate with readers. Sometimes it's difficult to keep track of their family's makeup-stepfathers, siblings, moms-and it's not always easy to distinguish between the two narrative voices. However, poignant themes about found family, the disappointment felt when adults fail, and pitch-perfect dialogue make up for it. Both girls have light brown skin and dark hair and eyes. Mattie has panic attacks. VERDICT A heartbreaking and heartfelt selection for middle grade collections.-Shelley M. Diaz

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