COMING SOON!

LOLA REYES IS SO NOT WORRIED RELEASES 9/17/24!

Perfect for fans of The Doll People and The Total Eclipse of Nester Lopez, a Guatemalan American girl fights to stop her cursed worry dolls before they blanket her friends and neighbors in anxiety—and the grief she carries over the loss of her father—in this magical middle grade adventure by Cindy L. Rodriguez.

Lola Reyes doesn’t want to leave Guatemala, a place full of warmth and sun, laughter and music—where her abuela and prima and tíos and tías surround her with love. Back in Sunnyside, it’s cold. There’s schoolwork and chores. And her mama transforms into Lola’s super-serious school principal, Dr. Reyes.

Back at home… Lola can see, crystal clear, the empty place where Pop used to be. So Lola decides to bring a little bit of Guatemala—and Pop—back with her. She discovers his box of childhood worry dolls and sneaks them into her luggage, ignoring the warnings on the box not to use them. Later, when she tells them all her worries, from her friendship woes to the way Mama won’t talk about how sad she is, the worry dolls come to life! Worse—they escape!

Lola has to enlist her neighbor and nemesis, Chance Townsend, to recapture the dolls because she discovers they’re cursed! And as they absorb worries, they’ll grow bigger and bigger. If Lola can’t find a way to stop them, they’ll burst, releasing all the worries they’ve absorbed a hundredfold on everyone in town! But when breaking the curse might mean confronting her own anxieties and grief, will Lola be able face her emotions before it’s too late? 

Available for pre-order now!

Curious Cat Bookshop | River Bend Bookshop | Amazon | Barnes & Noble Books-A-Million| Powell’s

RELEASED 8/1/2023 FROM CARDINAL RULE PRESS.

My award-winning picture book is now available in Spanish!

Available at:

Cardinal Rule Press | Indiebound/Bookshop | Barnes & Noble | Amazon

RELEASED 1/1/2023 FROM CAPSTONE PRESS. CLICK ON THE COVER FOR MORE INFORMATION.

On May 6, 1996, dozens of excited climbers set off to scale Mount Everest and reach the tallest point on Earth. On the morning of May 10, the skies were clear. The summit was in sight. But hours later, a terrible storm hit. Eight climbers died as they became trapped near the peak. What went wrong, and how did the survivors manage to make it back alive? Told through the gripping, full-color graphic novel format, this Deadly Expeditions tale transports readers back in time to discover how one of the deadliest days on Mount Everest unfolded.

RELEASED 9/1/2022 FROM CARDINAL RULE PRESS. CLICK ON THE COVER FOR MORE INFORMATION.

Beto won’t wear a guayabera to the wedding. Nope! Nunca! Not going to happen! Beto tries his best to rid himself of the traditional Mexican wedding shirt his Mami gave him. He even gets help from his dog Lupe, but the shirt ends up back on his bed each time with notes from Mami, who becomes increasingly frustrated with Beto. Mami insists that Beto attend the wedding, and wear the shirt, because–after all–it’s her wedding. Beto has to accept the fact that Mami is getting remarried and that she wants him to wear the shirt, which is part of his heritage.

This book comes with a free Reader’s Guide for children. The guide is available for free download from the publisher website. Lesson plans, activities, and discussion questions allow parents, teachers, and caregivers to explore the topics further and deepen comprehension.

THREE POCKETS FULL has won several awards:

• Five 1st place 2022 Purple Dragonfly Book Awards in these categories: Family Matters, Growing Pains, Cultural Diversity, Picture Books 5 & Younger, and Picture Books 6 & Older
• 2022 Grand Prize Winner in the Story Monsters Approved book contest
• 2022 Story Monsters Approved Book in these categories: Family Matters, Picture Books (Ages 3-8) Fiction, Cultural Diversity
• 2022 Northern Lights Book Award in the Family Category
• CT Book Awards finalist in the picture book category
• 2022 Chanticleer International Book Awards finalist
• 2023 Silver Nautilus Award Winner in Children’s Picture Books / Fiction Ages 2- 6 Years (Preschool- Grade 2)

REALEASED 1/1/2022 FROM CAPSTONE PRESS. CLICK ON THE COVER FOR MORE INFORMATION.

Percy Fawcett was a mapmaker and an adventurer. In the early 1900s, he spent years mapping out the jungles of South America. Fawcett became obsessed with the idea of a lost city of gold hidden deep in the jungle. At the age of 57, Fawcett, his 21-year-old son Jack, and Jack’s friend Raleigh Rimell left on a quest to find the Lost City of Z. The three men were never heard from again. Untangle the clues they left behind.

RELEASED 8/1/2021 FROM CAPSTONE/STONE ARCH BOOKS. CLICK ON THE COVER IMAGE FOR MORE INFORMATION.

Thirteen-year-old Aniyah comes from a long line of drill and step team members. Her mom and aunts all competed, so none of them understand why Aniyah doesn’t want to continue the tradition. But Aniyah doesn’t like attention or performing. Then Aniyah’s friend, Stacy, convinces her to give the team a try. The team dances just for fun and doesn’t compete, so there’s no pressure. Aniyah discovers Stacy is right–it is kind of fun! But just when Aniyah is starting to get into the groove, the rules change. The team decides to enter a competition. Can Aniyah overcome her fears and get on board with competition, or will she have to step away from drill team?

RELEASED 8/1/2021 FROM CAPSTONE/STONE ARCH BOOKS. CLICK ON THE COVER IMAGE FOR MORE INFORMATION.

Mia Hernandez’s gymnastics team is nervous about the upcoming season. However, they’re encouraged when their new coach tells them that she was once a gymnast for their longtime rivals. The coach’s knowledge will be a great advantage during the season. But strange things begin to happen at the competitions. The wrong music is played during some girls’ floor exercises. Itching powder ends up in one team’s chalk. At another meet, the parallel bars fall apart while a competitor performs her routine. Someone is taking dangerous risks to cheat at the competitions. But who could it be, and why? Follow along as Mia discovers the shocking truth behind who’s been sabotaging the competition during the gymnastics season in this Jake Maddox JV Mystery.

RELEASED 8/1/2020 FROM CAPSTONE/STONE ARCH BOOKS. CLICK ON THE COVER IMAGE FOR MORE INFORMATION.

Until now, Layla has balanced her school work and volleyball easily enough. In eighth grade, though, academic expectations are tougher. Student-athletes need at least a C average in all classes to play sports. When Layla’s dedication to volleyball puts her algebra grade at risk, her chances of making the high school freshman team next year are on the line. Can she find a way to ace her classes like she does on the court?

RELEASED 4/10/2018 FROM SIMON PULSE. CLICK ON THE COVER IMAGE FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Have you ever felt like you just couldn’t get out of bed? Not the occasional morning, but every day? Do you find yourself listening to a voice in your head that says “you’re not good enough,” “not good looking enough,” “not thin enough,” or “not smart enough”? Have you ever found yourself unable to do homework or pay attention in class unless everything is “just so” on your desk? Everyone has had days like that, but what if you have them every day?

You’re not alone. Millions of people are going through similar things. However issues around mental health still tend to be treated as something shrouded in shame or discussed in whispers. It’s easier to have a broken bone–something tangible that can be “fixed”–than to have a mental illness, and easier to have a discussion about sex than it is to have one about mental health.

Life Inside My Mind is an anthology of true-life events from writers of this generation, for this generation. These essays tackle everything from neurodiversity to addiction to OCD to PTSD and much more. The goals of this book range from providing home to those who are feeling alone, awareness to those who are witnessing a friend or family member struggle, and to open the floodgates to conversation. Participating writers include E.K. Anderson, J.L. Armentrout, Cyn Balog, Amber Benson, Francesca Lia Block, Jessica Burkhart, Crissa Chappell, Sarah Fine, Kelly Fiore, Candace Ganger, Meghan Kelley Hall, Cynthia Hand, Ellen Hopkins, Maureen Johnson, Tara Kelly, Karen Mahoney, Melissa Marr, Kim McCreight, Hannah Moskowitz, Scott Neumyer, Lauren Oliver, Aprilynne Pike, Tom Pollack, Amy Reed, Cindy L. Rodriguez, Francisco Stork, Wendy Tolliver, Rob Wells, Dan Wells, Rachel Wilson, and Sara Zarr.

RELEASED BY BLOOMSBURY 2/2015: CLICK ON THE COVER IMAGE FOR MORE INFORMATION.

A Goth girl with an attitude problem, Elizabeth Davis must learn to control her anger before it destroys her. Emily Delgado appears to be a smart, sweet girl, with a normal life, but as depression clutches at her, she struggles to feel normal. Both girls are in Ms. Diaz’s English class, where they connect to the words of Emily Dickinson. Both are hovering on the edge of an emotional precipice. One of them will attempt suicide. And with Dickinson’s poetry as their guide, both girls must conquer their personal demons to ever be happy.

In an emotionally taut novel with a richly diverse cast of characters, readers will relish in the poetry of Emily Dickinson and be completely swept up in the turmoil of two girls grappling with demons beyond their control.