The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants meets Mexikid in this heart-warming novel with illustrations about four friends and the magical bookstore that holds them together. Cat, Sofia, Ana, and Mari are best friends. Nothing, nada, can break the special bond they share. And after Cat's mom chides the girls to quit their loud cackling at the bookstore as they carry on like a bunch of chismosas, the name sticks--Cat creates The Chismosas Only Book Club, so the girls can stay connected throughout their first year of high school, even when their class schedules and club activities rip them apart. But ninth grade is harder than any of the girls predicted, and it seems that no amount of conchas y libros y riendo at Milagro's Books, founded generations ago by Cat's great-great-great grandmother, can repair the ever-growing cracks in their friendship. But maybe the spirit of Milagro herself can. Filled with whimsy and heart, and interspersed with black & white graphic novel chapters, comes a charming, inventive novel that explores the magic of friendship, the enchanted embrace of ancestors, and the power of the stories we share. And, of course, a wonderful reminder that books - and bookstores - are * magic *.
