Summary: Join the Club, Maggie Diaz
Join the Club, Maggie Diaz is Nina Moreno’s middle grade debut. New seventh-grader Maggie Diaz is not the most organized person. But she’s trying to become her best self this school year so she can win her parents’ trust and get a new phone by the end of the year. She soon finds out that getting on honor roll is not that easy.
Worse still, Maggie’s dealing with so many changes. Her best friends have joined after-school clubs to pursue their interests and have little or no time for Maggie (who can’t seem to find her interests). Since her Abuelo died, her Abuela has become her roommate and Maggie just wants some alone time! Will Maggie find her place and “join the club”?
The Good
This was such a fun and realistic story. Moreno does a great job depicting an intergenerational family living together, as well as the chaos of having a new sibling and a parent who’s gone back to school. Maggie feels lost because her friends are finding their way, growing up, pursuing their passions, and they all have mobile phones! So, she tries several clubs from agriculture and woodwork to volunteering and even running track all to find her thing.
I liked the relationship between Maggie and her best friends as well as her relationship with her sister. The added element of grief for Maggie’s Abuela who’d recently lost her husband never felt too heavy for readers and the book still maintained a levity that kids will love. This felt like a book I would have LOVED to have as a tween and I’m glad they’ll have it.
Overall: Join the Club, Maggie Diaz
Join the Club, Maggie Diaz is a lively, engaging debut about finding your place and passions when everyone else seems to be miles ahead in the game. Enriched by Maggie’s warm Cuban-American family, fun illustrations, Maggie’s hilarious commentary, and an undeniably relatable plot, this one will appeal to middle graders who love funny books. A fun, funny, and relatable MG debut!
You can learn more about the book from this video!
Coming in May! JOIN THE CLUB, MAGGIE DIAZ – This humorous and heartfelt middle-grade debut by @Nina_Writes with illustrations by @_courtney_luv7 is perfect for any reader still deciding what their passion in life is. pic.twitter.com/B8KPE2z7j5
— Scholastic (@Scholastic) March 6, 2022
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