Yoli’s Favorite Things
From the first page, the reader is drawn into the world of Yolanda Sahagún, who enjoys singing songs from The Sound of Music and dreaming of one day becoming a nun like Maria von Trapp. But while the green hillsides outside of San Diego might inspire some arms-wide-open spinning befitting a Julie Andrews wannabe, Yoli recognizes that the soundtrack to 1967 and 1968 is much more discordant than her favorite inspirational movie score. The television broadcasts a cacophony of jolting news about the Vietnam War, the draft, attacks on those marching for civil rights, and the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Yoli questions what the future holds for her draft-eligible favorite brother Chuy while secretly fretting over her own future as well.
Patricia Santana’s heartwarming middle-grade novel balances the innocence of childhood dreams with the sometimes harsh reality of true life in this coming-of-age tale about a middle daughter in a family of nine whose parents are Mexican immigrants. Yoli’s Favorite Things is a prequel to Santana’s earlier novels including Motorcycle Ride on the Sea of Tranquility. Although overall an enjoyable read, the ending felt a bit flat, perhaps relying too heavily on the hope the reader will want to read the sequel. Still, it will be a welcome addition to classroom libraries for ages 9-12 and will no doubt result in lots of curious readers searching for audio bites of The Sound of Music and Googling the Vietnam War.
