Really fun and sweet story about a Colombian-American boy who spends the summer with his grandmother to practice his Spanish. There's excellent, age appropriate content about the challenges and shame associated with being a non-Spanish speaking Latinx person and the difficulties are expressed in an empathetic way. Part of a series of interconnected stories, the next volume will be released in 2026.

I adored this graphic novel. I loved how much Spanish it incorporated and the way it set up the translations. Santi's relationship with his grandmother was really sweet, and I appreciated how we got to see that even when someone loves you and wants to do right by you they can still do things that hurt you without realizing, and that those things do still matter. I think Santi's frustrations felt very realistic and natural, and the way he reacted in other areas of his life to compensate made a lot of sense. We got to see Santi make several friends throughout this graphic, and I'm excited to see more books are planned that will center them. I'll definitely read more of these, and would highly recommend others check them out as well.

This novel is such a perfect addition to any middle school library. Speak Up, Santiago! is the perfect example of how to utilize graphic novels to further your storytelling. Julio Anta manages to provide readers a real way to empathize and feel what Santi experiences as he is working on improving his Spanish. Even if you have never experienced that exact situation before in your life you can empathize and truly see the impact it can have on a person's life. As someone who experiences this myself and is teased for my "gringa" accent this book felt especially impactful to me. I cannot wait to purchase for our library!

Speak Up, Santiago follows Santiago on a one month (?--they say one month at the beginning but then he participates in a soccer tournament 6 weeks after his arrival) visit to his grandmother in Hillside Family. Santiago is proud of how much Spanish he has learned at home, but he is unprepared for full immersion. Even as his Spanish improves, he experiences confidence set backs, overhearing others disparaging his language skills. Santiago also meets up with some new friends (who will be the focus of later books in this series) as his new soccer team.

+: Solid representation for multi-racial young readers. The author does a good job of demonstrating Santiago's Spanish skills by switching between translated text and Spanish text with missing words.

-: it seems odd to kick off a series about a group of kids with the first book being about a kid who lives in another city most of the year.

This fits right in with the type of graphic novels my students love like Miss Quinces, so it will be a buy for my school library.

Santiago lives with his mother (who is white) and his father (who is of Colombian descent) in New York City. His Spanish language skills aren't great, so he is spending a month with his abuela in the small community of Hillside Valley in the Hudson Valley. She lives in a charming cottage in the woods, but isn't far from the town center. Santiago is very worried that the two won't be able to communicate, but is glad to eat his grandmother's delicious cooking. He makes friends with local residents, Sol, Willie, Alejandro, and Nico, who have a secret soccer field in a clearing in the woods where they invite Santiago to play. They also take him on a tour of the charming town. Santiago is getting along with his grandmother until they attend a birthday party for one of her friends, and ovehears the ladies disparaging his speaking abilities and accent. His grandmother even laughs a bit over his accent. Since Santiago struggled with learning to speak, he takes this to heart, and it causes a lot of tension. He does compete in the soccer tournament with his new friends, and eventually talks to them about his struggles and feelings of insecurity. Bouyed by their support, he is able to talk to his grandmother about his feelings, and realizes that his Spanish skills are better than he suspects when he has to care for his grandmother after an injury. This is the first book in a Hillside Valley series.
Strengths: Visiting a grandparent for the summer offers a gret way for middle grade children to experience a different location and culture without having to move, which, as we know, is an experience often fraught with ghosts. It's good to see Santiago connect with his grandmother, and also to see him explore the town with new friends. Existing in a family with more than one language is a challenge I haven't had to deal with, so it's good to see Anta bring his personal experiences to the story. Involving soccer in a book is always a good call.
Weaknesses: Hillside Valley is a delightful location, but Santiago's internal struggles were rather protracted. This focus on personal troubles is definitely on trend for graphic novels, but I'd love to see some happier ones!
What I really think: This is a good choice for readers who enjoyed Cartaya's Marcus Vega Doesn't Speak Spanish or Granillo's Cruzita and the Mariacheros.

Thank you to netgalley for the free ARC!

This is a very sweet story about a boy named Santiago who spends a month with his grandmother (from Columbia) who speaks Spanish. At home, Santiago's family at home speaks both Spanish and English and he has been working on his Spanish. With his grandmother, she insists they speak only in Spanish so he can improve. It was great how both languages are interwoven throughout this graphic novel. Many kids will be able to relate to Santiago's wavering levels of confidence surrounding his Spanish speaking ability. The illustrations are amazing-- very colorful and very expressive!

Book 1 in the Hillside Valley MG graphic novel series by @julioanta @hobbleshmobble
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Santi is both anxious and excited to spend the summer with his abuela in Hillside Valley. He grew up not speaking Spanish and now that he can take a foreign language he’s been working hard, but isn’t fluent yet. His abuela expects Santi to speak Spanish as much as he can this summer, despite the fact that he doesn’t feel confident in the language like all his new friends. When a soccer tournament snags Santi’s attention, it’s not enough for him to stop worrying throughout the summer about being Colombian enough.
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This was such a sweet graphic novel about a boy who doesn’t feel like he’s enough. So many students will be able to relate to this in my Texas school library. I loved the integrated Spanish throughout.i loved the artwork too and students who enjoyed Miss Quinces and Chunky will love this one too. It releases March 4!

CW: mild anxiety