I'm Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter meets Emergency Contact in
this stunning Pura Belpré Honor Book about first love, familial
expectations, the power of food, and finding where you belong.
Penelope Prado has always dreamed of opening her own pastelería next
to her father's restaurant, Nacho's Tacos. But her mom and dad have
different plans--leaving Pen to choose between disappointing her
traditional Mexican American parents or following her own path. When she
confesses a secret she's been keeping, her world is sent into a
tailspin. But then she meets a cute new hire at Nacho's who sees through
her hard exterior and asks the questions she's been too afraid to ask
herself.
Xander Amaro has been searching for home since he was a little boy.
For him, a job at Nacho's is an opportunity for just that--a chance at a
normal life, to settle in at his abuelo's, and to find the father who
left him behind. But when both the restaurant and Xander's immigrant
status are threatened, he will do whatever it takes to protect his
newfound family and himself.
Together, Pen and Xander must navigate first love and discovering where
they belong in order to save the place they all call home.
This stunning and poignant novel from debut author Laekan Zea Kemp
explores identity, found families and the power of food, all nestled
within a courageous and intensely loyal Chicanx community.