Absolutely loved the 3rd installment in the Marisol series. I laughed the whole way through this one and didn't want to put it down. Readers will definitely connect with Marisol. I loved it.

Marisol Rainey is such a warm, relatable character and each addition in her series makes me smile to read. In addition to being a kind friend, daughter, and animal lover, Marisol is a worrier. Her previous book had her nerves on full display when climbing her Magnolia tree and in this she is stressed about gym class and kickball. Both have Marisol working to overcome her fears in relatable ways.

I loved the bits of Marisol's family we get as well as her friendship with Jada. While this is a second book in the series, it can very much be read without having read the first one- it's full of simple black and white drawings from the author and short chapters that are perfect for children beginning to dive into chapter books. I can't wait to see what Marisol conquers next!

The delightful Marisol is back. In this sequel to "Maybe Maybe Marisol Rainey," Marisol's worries center on the upcoming kickball game in PE. Naturally non-athletic, Marisol is upset that her Dad is not at home to help her, jealous because her best friend is doing well in kickball, and upset that mean-girl Evie keeps making mean comments.

I do love Marisol! She is a sweet girl with common elementary school grade worries. This is a great "new chapter book" for students who are just beginning to read chapter books.

Love reading more stories about Marisol Rainey! This new series is becoming a favorite among my young readers.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review

This is a great follow up to "Maybe Maybe Marisol Rainey". In this second standalone book, Marisol doesn't like sports, but she can't avoid gym class or kickball. This dives deeper into Marisol's world and her struggles to fit in.
Marisol is a worrier, but they are the kinds of worries and anxieties that elementary readers can relate to. She is very relatable, and I love how she works through those fears and anxieties with her family and friends. Definitely a great addition to elementary classrooms!

Marisol doesn't like sports, but she can't avoid gym class or kickball. This is book two but is a standalone novel that delves deeper into Marisol's world and her struggles to fit in.

Wonderful follow up to Maybe Maybe Marisol Rainey by Erin Entrada Kelly. We are rooting for Marisol as she navigates her adventures and growing up experiences.

Surely Surely Marisol Rainey is the second book in an adorable series written by Erin Entrada Kelly. I really enjoyed the first book (Maybe Maybe Marisol Rainey), and the follow-up is equally delightful.

Eight-year-old Marisol Rainey and her best friend Jada George love to make lists of their favorite and their least favorite things. They don't always have the same things on them, but it's still fun to compare their lists. But there is one thing that is on both of their least favorite things and that is gym class. Sure, it can be fun sometimes, like when Coach Decker lets them play hopscotch, but when it comes to things like baseball or basketball, Marisol never hears him yell out things like "Nice try, Marisol" or "Great Effort, Marisol" because Marisol just doesn't do well in these sports.

So on the Thursday afternoon that Coach Decker announces that starting Monday and for two weeks they will be learning how to play Kickball, "Marisol's belly plummets to her sneakers." Marisol has never played kickball and her dad, who works on an oil rig off the Gulf of Mexico coast isn't around. He can only come home once a month for a week, but not during the two weeks of kickball. To make matters worse, braggy nemesis Evie Smythe is a great kickball player and never lets Marisol forget it. And if that isn't enough to get Marisol's brain train of negative thoughts going, her brother Oz is a great athlete and soccer star.

When her friend Felix explains that he learned to talk to animals by sleeping with a book about them, Marisol decides to try sleeping with a soccer ball to see it Felix's technique will work for her. But when it doesn't work, and not wanting to let her teammates down, Marisol finally decides she needs to take real action and talk to her brother Oz.

This is Erin Entrada Kelly's second Marisol Rainey book. It is a stand alone story and is every bit as delightful as Book #1, Maybe Maybe Marisol Rainey. It is told in the third person present from Marisol's point of view giving readers a window into what she is thinking. The chapters are short, and there are lots of black and white illustrations done by the author that perfectly harmonize with the text. Like many kids her age, Marisol is a worrier, but they are the kinds of worries and anxieties that those readers can relate to. Luckily, Marisol has a supportive family and friends to help her work through her fears and worries.

Erin Entrada Kelly has a way of zeroing in on the things that kids thing and worry about, exploring themes like siblings, friendships, courage, solving problems, and, of course, facing fears. I really enjoyed reading this second Marisol Rainey book and look forward to Book #3.

Eight-year-old Marisol is back after readers got to know her and best friend Jada in a first book, MAYBE MAYBE MARISOL RAINEY. It was there that Marisol tries to get over her fear of climbing a tree.

This second book stands on its own since Marisol is now struggling with learning how to play kickball in gym class. She knows everyone will laugh at her as she deals with the kicking and catching—a skill she doesn’t have when it comes to a soccer size ball.

This title will “Surely” be a hit for new readers to middle grade, especially those 8 to 9 year olds stepping up from chapter books. The story flows and is easy to read. A wide variety of whimsical pictures included throughout are a plus.

Other characters include Marisol’s mom and a dad who is only home one week per month due to his job on an oil rig. There’s also a much more athletic older brother known as Oz.

You’ll enjoy reading about Marisol’s so called “Brain Train” where she thinks about everything that isn’t right or needs help in her world. The main one is not having a dad around who can give her help when needed. He does call 3 times a week but some things like kickball can’t be learned over a phone call. Marisol resorts to asking older brother Oz for kickball training.

Marisol is a sweet girl you can’t help but like. I’m glad there are plans for more Marisol Rainey stories in the future. For now, sit back and enjoy SURELY SURELY MARISOL RAINEY

FIVE MORE THINGS TO LIKE ABOUT: SURELY SURELY MARISOL RAINEY by Erin Entrada Kelly

1. This is a much more realistic look at present day physical education classes. Coach Decker is a master at creating a comfortable, less threatening gym class.
2. Jada is a great friend even though she doesn’t always do the right thing in Marisol’s view. Jada’s parents are divorced but she spends time with each.
3. Dad eventually is helpful even from his far away job. Having a distant parent because of work happens a lot in today’s society.
4. The fears Marisol has were spot on for this age group and this alone makes it a title worth their time.
5. You get a look at Marisol’s Filipino culture.

I really loved the first book in this series, Maybe Maybe Marisol Rainey it's an adorable, illustrated chapter book. Marisol is such a lovely young girl, she's kind, empathetic, anxious, and at times quiet and reflective. She reminds me a lot of Matilda and Harriet and I just adore her. I was super excited to get my hands on the follow-up, Surely Surely Marisol Rainey by Erin Entrada.

In the latest book, Marisol is worried because her gym teacher just announced that the next unit they're starting is kickball. She'd love to ask her dad for help or kickball advice, but because of his job on an oil rig he's gone a lot, he does call home weekly, but it's not the same as having him home so he can teach her what to do. Marisol could ask her older brother, Oz, who is really good at sports but that might be difficult and embarrassing too. Both Marisol and her best friend Jada despise gym class, and starting kickball makes them both anxious, on that one thing they both can agree. It's not because of the teacher, who is supportive and encouraging, it's having to play sports. Just the thought of having to kick the ball makes Marisol and Jada both worry. What if they fall flat on their face, or make a mistake? Plus, she doesn't want to embarrass herself in front of the whole class. Then Evie starts to bully Marisol, telling her how good she is at kickball and how Marisol is never going to be able to match her skills, which causes her even more anxiety. The only positive is that she gets paired up with Felix in gym class and he's super nice. Felix even starts telling her about his ability to talk to animals, which distracts her from thinking about and worrying about kickball. Eventually, Marisol does ask Oz for help for her, and Jada and he teaches them how to kick and catch the ball, which alleviates many of their fears.

Surely Surely Marisol Rainey can be read as a standalone, but I highly recommend both of these books. Marisol is such a treasure, and her stories would be perfect for an elementary age reader, who will find her easily relatable and will just love how she works so hard to overcome her fears and anxiety. The use of the brain train analogy is especially done well in explaining Marisol's worries. Although some of the illustrations in my ARC weren't complete, I loved the gentle lines of the ones I saw and felt they complement the story so well. I really hope Erin Entrada Kelly will write more Marisol Rainey stories and I really enjoyed that she not only wrote these books but illustrated them as well.

One of my favorite things of these stories are the illustrations. When I was teaching we always started the year in our writing journal of keeping lists - and from the very beginning kids are able to see Marisol's Favorites in a way that I know so many teachers as of their students to write it in their writing journal. (Also, the drawings are just so darn good!)
Marisol is such a fun and relatable character. Students of all ages are going through something, and sometimes all it takes is not feeling alone in those big moments. The idea that one on her list of LEAST favorite things is gym class. The reality is that so many students fear/dislike gym class and instead of understanding or respecting that emotion; society has always forced gym class as a MUST. Also, the constant comparison of siblings when one is better at sports vs the other - in this case, Marisol is wishing so much to be like her brother, Oz. Marisol struggles as her nemesis, Evie, points out her weaknesses, making Marisol feel even lower than before. As the story progresses, Marisol and her bff Jada, chalk up some courage to reach out to her brother, Oz, for some help in the kickball area.
Small moments turning into big moments - something students of this age go through so often. Every part of Marisol Rainey books are relatable in more than one way.
Highly recommend - a great/must have addition to those 1st-4th/5th grade classrooms.

This is a fun-filled follow up to Maybe Maybe Maisol Rainey. The 2nd book in the Marisol series follows Marisol to gym class. She is not that good at most sports and now they have to play kickball. Marisol is so worried about playing and being good and it is wearing on her. The book follows her struggle, trials, and methods of trying to learn kickball with hopes of just kicking the ball.

This is such a cute story. Marisol is smart and fun and I can relate to the torment of gym class. I was not great at sports, I hated performing in front of others, and there was always that one bully that made it worse. Marisol experiences all of that and she does a great job being herself and trying her best.

This would be a wonderful book for young readers, the chapters are shorter and there will be illustrations throughout the book. I think Marisol is a great and relatable character that lots of different types of readers will enjoy.
Review will be love on the blog on 8/8/2022

Another winner for Erin Entrada Kelly. This sequel to Maybe Maybe Marisol Rainey continues the title character's adventures. Patrons are sure to see parts of themselves in Marisol.

I really loved this book for those in-between readers who are ready for something more than picture books, but aren't yet ready for lengthy, picture-less chapter books. I particularly liked how Marisol's family portrayed a realistic family living in the deep South, with the father working on an oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico, while at the same time, still being present in his family's life. While not all readers will be able to relate to this specific situation, it is entirely possible the reader might have a parent who travels for work, is in the military, or is divorced, and he/she must rely on Facetime and video chats from time to time to communicate with his/her parent, just like Marisol does.

Additionally, I also thought that Marisol's fears were spot on and relatable for the age of reader for whom this book is intended. There was not a major tragedy in this book and, unlike other popular characters for readers of this age, Marisol does not endear herself to the reader through a series of mishaps and childish blunders. Rather, she allows the reader to relate to her through her everyday interactions with her friends, her family, her dolls, and her fears about school.

I think this is a great series for the in-between readers, and I plan to purchase it for my library.

Loved this second book in the series as we get to understand Marisol better. I really resonated with the “brain train” she speaks about and how it can be frustrating when people say “oh you have nothing to worry about” or “don’t worry- it’s easy”. I think a lot of kids will be able to connect with Marisol and can learn from some of the ways she handles her anxiety.

This review is based on an ARC. Thank you for the opportunity to read this book. Marisol and her best friend Jada have likes and dislikes. For Marisol, one of her biggest dislikes is that she isn't usually good enough to get a "Good job" in gym class. In fact, she often struggles. The upcoming kickball unit has her full of anxiety and fear of failure.

I loved the cute illustrations and the relatability of Marisol and her struggles. I think middle grade readers will as well. I also loved the small references and nods to Marisol's Filipino culture and Jada's Latino background, providing extra understanding and representation to middle grade kids.

Well done. I will be adding both this book and the other in the series to my list that I want to stock in my library for children to check out and read.

Marisol is a delightful character with a wonderful, supportive family and best friend. Many kids will relate to Marisol's nervousness about gym class, particularly team sports where her actions affect others as well as themselves.

I often like to read the second in a series before the first, because many times this is how my students discover a book. I had no experience with the first book before diving into this one. I love good characters and fast moving books and this had both. This is a must buy for the classroom in 5th grade.

After Maybe, Maybe Marisol Rainey, I was looking forward to this new title. Marisol's adventures continue with her friends Jada, Sherry, and Felix and their pets. With her dad (Dadhead) away from the family a lot due to work, Marisol's "Brain Train" runs on high every day, and her anxiety grows every time she's around Evie, the bragging bully. Surely, surely, Marisol will be able to succeed in whatever she chooses to do, but school drama always gets in the way.

My favorite chapter is "According to Felix," where Felix explains exactly how he is able to talk to animals. The friends support each other by sharing their pet stories and I love that Marisol finds ways to be supportive while also getting support along the way.

Recommended for ages 7+. This is a great addition to a classroom or home library.