Sarai and the Meaning of Awesome

Summary of Book

The first book in a brand-new illustrated chapter book series inspired by the life of 11-year-old viral video star and social activist Sarai Gonzalez.

Sarai Gonzalez is AWESOME. Fourth grader Sarai Gonzalez can do anything. She can bake, dance, and run her own cupcake business. But when Sarai's grandparents are forced to move, even Sarai's not sure what to do. So she hatches a super-awesome plan with her younger sisters and cousin to buy back the house. But houses are more expensive than she ever thought, her sisters won't listen, and she's running out of time. Will Sarai find a way to save the day?

Author Biography

Monica Brown is the award-winning author of super-awesome books for children, including the Lola Levine chapter book series, Marisol McDonald Doesn't Match/no combina, Frida Kahlo and Her Animalitos, and Waiting for the Biblioburro. She is a professor of English at Northern Arizona University, specializing in Latinx and African American Literature. She lives in Flagstaff, Arizona, with her husband and her dogs, Lola and Finn. Visit her at monicabrown.net.

Eleven-year-old Sarai Gonzalez became an overnight sensation after appearing in Bomba Estero's "Soy Yo," a music video about embracing yourself and loving your flaws. The video garnered over 30 million views and the New York Times called Sarai a Latina icon. Sarai and the Meaning of Awesome was the first book in her new chapter book series inspired by her life. Sarai lives in New Jersey with her family.