I just finished reading this delightful book and can’t wait to share it with the readers in my life!

Middle school student Luz Veliz is dealing with some big changes. First we learn about a knee injury that has interrupted her trajectory as a soccer star, thus changing her relationship with her dad (who was her coach and #1 fan). When she discovers an interest in robotics, she has to balance her old world of soccer and teammates with her goal of making it into an advanced robotics class.

THEN … there’s a new wrinkle to deal with. I don’t want to spoil it so I won’t give details … I had no idea it was coming and it was such an important and special part of the book.

There are many characters to love here… at the center is Luz herself, of course—but her family members are wonderful, too. I also adored Mr. Mac, Luz’s quirky and supportive neighbor.

Balcarcel is especially gifted in creating relationships that ring true. The family relationships are incredibly real, as are the interactions with Luz’s former teammate and new robotics friend. I loved this aspect of her debut novel THE OTHER HALF OF HAPPY, which I highly recommend as well.

This is a rich, satisfying book with lovable characters who grow and change over the course of the story. SHINE ON, LUZ VELIZ is a gem. Highly recommended.

I really adored Luz and watching her discovery a new love of robotics.
I loved her next door neighbor, he was quirky and supportive and fun.
I liked her family and how they all grew and changed together for the better.

Thanks NetGalley for this ARC!

"Shine On, Luz Veliz" was such a lovely read! Luz tugged at my heart and I was right there for all her stress and family worries and growth. Rebecca is a writer to watch!

Luz Véliz is having a rough year. Her life as a soccer star is over when her knee gets injured, her relationship with her dad was built entirely on a foundation of a shared love of all things soccer, and her world is about to be rocked even more when someone new comes along, changing everything in her path. Luz knows her name means light, but how can she find a bright spot in all this darkness?

Author Rebecca Balcárcel weaves a brilliant tapestry of storylines, focusing on familial connections, the constant presence of change, and finding a way to share your light even when feeling smothered by the darkness.

There is so much to love about this book. Both primary and secondary characters are intricately developed, with believable dialogue and intergenerational relationships. Luz’s friendship with her elderly neighbor, Mr. Mac, is a highlight of the book.

What really makes this book shine is the way that all the different realms of one girl’s existence come together to build a fulfilling life, all without the forced messaging that can so often accompany books with big themes.

Luz has put her entire life into soccer; it’s her whole personality. When the book opens as she’s dealing with living in a world After Soccer, she’s taking down all of her trophies, posters, and memorabilia. Without her soccer stuff, her room looks blank– just like she feels. As Luz looks for a new passion, and thus a new way to connect with her dad, she stumbles into her school’s robotics classes and club.

The combination of technology, athletics, and art is a wonderful thing to see. So often, characters get pigeon-holed as either tech-savvy, creative, or athletic; but the people in Luz’s world show her how she can be all three.

It was also refreshing to see technology portrayed in a positive light. Technology has become an integral part of our daily lives, and yet how often does media portray it negatively? Kids (and their parents) are still constantly being told to go outside, climb a tree, and pretend it’s still the pre-AOL era. But ignoring tech isn’t the answer. The key to any healthy lifestyle is balance, and Balcárcel demonstrates that without any heavy handed messaging.

Luz is discovering who she is, outside of soccer, and that journey is showing her how little else was in her life. Without soccer, she’s realizing how out of balance her life was. Finding herself lacking friends, hobbies, and connection with her dad leads her to a new project: learning to code so she can test in to the advanced robotics class. As she learns to see the value in others for who they are, outside of their accomplishments, she learns to see the same in herself.

Shine On, Luz Véliz does not shy away from complicated topics. From family relationships, managing anger, living a multifaceted life, caring for others, immigration, and compassion, this book tackles tough topics without ever feeling like it’s tackling tough topics. Each challenge comes about organically, and young readers will relate especially to how life seems to throw everything at them all at once.

There is so much more I’d love to say about this book, but can’t for the sake of avoiding spoilers. Trust me and know it is well worth the read. Luz and her family are unforgettable, and the way Balcárcel expertly weaves together multiple plot lines and brings them all together is beautiful. These characters are relatable and realistic; they’re the kinds of characters you wish were real, just so you could be friends with them.

Shine On, Luz Véliz by Rebecca Balcárcel will be available May 3, 2022 from Chronicle Books. Thank you to author Rebecca Balcárcel, NetGalley, and Chronicle Books for an advanced copy such that I could share my honest review.

I loved this book! It was so great to see Luz learn how to communicate her feels and what she wanted through some challenging times. It was great to see her develop her love for Robotics and face the challenges of being injured and not being able to enjoy Soccer with her friends like she used to, and changes in her family. I loved seeing the support of her family and Mr. Mac as Luz starts to find herself throughout the book. This book would be so great for a middle-grader who is maybe having trouble communicating their feelings or feeling jealous of someone else. I think they could learn a lot from Luz and this book!

A wonderful exploration of middle-grade identity. Luz is adjusting to big changes in her life happening simultaneously. Now that she can't play soccer because of her injury, she is struggling to feel seen. If she wasn't an exceptional soccer star, what was she? Her story resonates with many kids coming of age. Soccer wasn't only her identity, it was also how she bonded with her father. Without soccer, Luz feels like she is disappointing her dad. She is taken out of her comfort zone. I love that coding is represented in this book. At my middle school students love Robotics and coding. Our library will add this title and expect many students to relate to Luz.

Much like Balcárcel’s first book The Other Half of Happy, Shine on Luz Véliz features realistic characters dealing with messy emotions. Young readers will find Luz immediately relatable. This is a fantastic middle grade full of universally relatable themes. Highly recommended.

Luz Veliz has formed her identity around being a soccer star, and basks in her parents' approval and enthusiasm for the game. Her relationship with her Guatemalan father especially is grounded in their love of soccer.. So when Luz's soccer injury sidelines her from playing competitive soccer, she feels compelled to find a new way to make her parents proud. She discovers a robotics club at her school that appeals to her, and convinces her kind elderly neighbor (an inventor and retired engineer) to help her learn to code so that she can join the robotics class at her school the next year. While Luz is working on reinventing herself, her parents share the surprising news that she has a half-sister who is coming from Guatemala to live with them. Solana's presence in the family changes the dynamic completely - and Luz discovers that she herself is the key to determining whether these changes will bring her family together or push them apart. With themes of sibling rivalry, redemption, friendship, cutural understanding, and what it means to be family, this STEM-centered book will resonate with readers across all backgrounds and experiences.
Thanks to @netgalley and the publisher for sharing the eARC with me!

What an awesome story of battling struggles due to an injury, surprise visitors, a love of #coding and #robotics and better understanding of how awesome you are no matter what! #bookposse @rebeccabalcarcel @ChronicleBooks 📚❤️

Luz divides her life into before and after. She used to be a soccer star, tightly bonded to her dad who coached her team. Post injury Luz puts her trophies in the garbage and warms the bench. Her dad seems barely able to look at her. But when a massive surprise from her dad’s home country of Guatemala arrives on their doorstep, Luz and her family must rebuild their life. A retired tech-savvy neighbor, a chance encounter with robotics, and three bilingual classmates she’s overlooked, all offer clues to a new version of Luz. Luz’s growth feels real and messy, as she adapts to not being a star and her presumptions get in her way. Strong family support help her shift focus and build a new identity based on both challenge and acceptance.

The only confusing element is a tragic deportation that isn’t thoroughly integrated into the story. We are told a friend's brother has been unjustly deported and then killed by a gang when repatriated to Guatemala. Either the friend never appears in the story or there is a continuity error, as the three ESL friends who are named are from El Salvador, Mexico and Honduras. While the deportation and murder of Rodrigo is integral to the plot the fact that we never meet him or his sister (or his sister's country of origin was misrepresented) makes his death feel like a fridging - existing only to motivate the main characters.

Wow. Wow wow wow. What an AMAZING book to start the new year with. I haven't read Rebecca Balcárcel's debut yet, but if her sophomore book is any indication, I 100% get why her first story was a Pura Belpré Honor Book.

SHINE ON, LUZ VÉLIZ tackles two stories in one: that of Luz coming to terms with her soccer-ending injury and discovering coding, and that of Luz & her family learning to love a new member (Luz's Guatemalan half-sister) and reinventing what it means to be a unit.

Truly, this novel blew me away. I laughed. I cried. I debated learning coding via Scratch. It is the perfect story to share with any kids going through the ups and downs of a blended family, and it is *especially* the perfect book to share with any kid who you think might be interested in giving robotics a try.

Honestly, this middle grade is already one of my favorites of the year! That's how good it is.

Keep your eyes peeled! This gem comes out May 2022

Adorable! Just the kind of representation I need in my classroom. Students love seeing themselves in books and this is a great addition to my library!

I loved this story! So much! I cannot wait for it to be out, so I can recommend it to readers! I mean the book is all about overcoming a loss of a passion, redefining family, second language acquisition and conversing beyond languages, and STEM! So much girl power STEM! And all of this with a wonderful, fast-paces story!

Before, Luz Véliz was a soccer star, her dad’s pride and joy, and a light in the neighborhood. But after Luz suffers a traumatic injury on the soccer field, everything changes, and she is left feeling set adrift in a world filled with disappointment. Luz must decide whether to continue attending soccer practice only to sit on the sidelines or to find another outlet for her energy and intelligence. Luckily, Luz has a kind and supportive neighbor who recognizes Luz’s affinity for gadgetry and helps to kindle an ember that begins to form within her. As Luz attempts to fill in the holes left behind from her injury, she finds the world to be a more complex and beautiful place than she ever imagined.

This early middle grade contemporary fiction story introduces readers to a girl named Luz whose life has been turned upside down at the age of 11 due to an injury that prevents her from continuing to pursue her passion for soccer. The disappointment and frustration Luz feels is amplified by both her adolescence and an added familial complication, and readers will recognize Luz’s emotional upheaval as she attempts to come to terms with the changes happening both in her world and in her relationships with her parents. The writing perfectly captures the intensity of these feelings, embedding them deep within the reader’s psyche before offering constructive solutions for managing them. Luz begins to undergo internal change with the help of a shift of focus to coding, and even readers unfamiliar with coding languages will feel comfortable with the level of detail and explanation included in this book.

Short chapters and engaging writing give this novel a rhythm that is easy to fall into. Younger middle grade readers will feel especially comfortable with the design of the book, though the content speaks to older readers, as well. At the center of this story, Luz is beginning to discover who she is while building herself into the person she wants to become. The world is opening up for her at the same time, though, and this is often a challenging and uncomfortable experience. As the complexities of family dynamics, global violence, illness, and the threat of deportation arise, Luz’s personal struggles are put into perspective, which inspires both Luz and the reader to think differently about their own lives. At the end of the book, readers find recipes for some of the foods described in the story, a list of famous scientists mentioned in the narrative, and an author’s note with more information about the impetus of the novel. This is an emotional and heartfelt addition to libraries for early middle grade readers.

With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early copy in return for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this book...4.5 stars! This is really middle grade at its finest...highly relatable themes, great length, engaging characters, and interesting plot. Great discussion opportunities around overcoming obstacles, immigration, friendship, family, and mentor relationships. I loved the STEM themes and it made me want to work on coding!

I did struggle a bit with how the parents expected Luz to handle the unexpected addition of Solana, because I felt like her response was to be expected.

Luz Veliz is a beautiful book about a middle-schooler discovering who she is in the aftermath of a sports injury -- and with a new family member in the house! Mr. Mac is a spectacular secondary character, and I love all the STEM talk included in the story. My two kids will love this one!

I loved this book!
I haven't read too many middle grade books that feature coding as a hobby but I have some students in mind who would love this in a book.
Looking forward to purchasing for my elementary libraries!