Vega's Piece of the Sky - by Jennifer Torres

Book Synopsis

A meteorite comes crashing down on the lives of three middle schoolers changing everything they know about family, friendships, and community in this charming and heartfelt novel.

The space rock is just the latest thing to land, uninvited, in Vega Lucero's road-stop hometown. But when she discovers how much a chunk of the meteorite might be worth, she realizes it's exactly the treasure she's been hoping to find--and maybe a way to convince her mom not to sell the family store to big city developers to help pay for her grandpa Tata's medical expenses.

Determined to find more pieces of the sky somewhere in the perilous desert wilderness, stubbornly independent Vega must set aside her distrust of outsiders to team up with Jasper, a would-be rival--and her own tagalong cousin Mila--on an overnight adventure to find more meteorites before the professional hunters who have descended on Date City do. But along the way, she realizes that she's not the only one with the weight of the world on her shoulders. Jasper and Mila have secrets and worries of their own that has brought them on this journey.

Together, this ragtag group will battle against coyotes, a flood, and scorpions. But what they will ultimately discover is that no treasure is big enough to prevent unwelcome change. Only family and friends can help weather the unexpected that life brings.

Review Quotes

"Jennifer Torres weaves a polyphonic epic of longing for the stars--if only to bring them down closer to the ones we love. Three deftly rounded protagonists face hardships in the dark together, learning to rely on each other and ultimately finding--if not the answers to their families' separate crises--friendship and hope for a brighter future. Warm, exciting, and often lyrical, Vega's Piece of the Skyis an instant classic in the vein of Hello, Universeby Erin Entrada Kelly."

--David Bowles, author of They Call Me Güero: A Border Kid's Poems

"Thoroughly engaging! Vega's Piece of the Sky is a delightful adventure story filled with memorable characters that will have you cheering and biting your nails."

--Ernesto Cisneros, author of Falling Short

Praise for Stef Soto, Taco Queen:

"The core of the story--friendship and the importance of family--wins out, leaving tweens with a satisfying, gentle read." --School Library Journal

"[A] well written novel about family and pride and would be a great addition to the library." --School Library Connection

"[An] engaging glimpse of food-truck culture through the Soto family's sacrifices, values, and hardships. Once readers get past the drama, they'll cheer for Stef Soto, her family, and Tia Perla." --Kirkus Reviews

"This cheery, relatable story features short and sweet chapters with plenty of Spanish words and phrases sprinkled in and a cheer-worthy main character in Stef, a happy, funny girl who adores art above all." --Booklist

"Young readers will feel a kinship with Stef as she struggles to spread her wings in this engaging and relatable middle-grade novel about growing up." --Horn Book

"The bones of this polished debut are familiar...but Torres fleshes them out with authenticity, humor, and heart. Stef's fresh, honest voice will resonate with a broad swath of readers, as will the relatable struggles she negotiates." --Publishers Weekly

"Spanish words and humorous banter pepper the dialogue, and the dual stories of the threatened family business and Stef's issues with classmates make a nice, age-appropriate balance that validates Stef's experience while pointing to a world beyond middle school politics. Readers will be happy to snack on this." --The Bulletin

"Captivating...very entertaining."--Booklist

"Here readers find well-developed characters with distinct voices and a tightly paced, ­fast-moving plot that harmoniously blend into a heartwarming, energetic novel."--School Library Journal

"The fast-paced read is a classic summer coming-of-age story with plenty of adventure and heart. As in all good quests, the story's true treasures are the relationships formed along the way."--Kirkus Reviews

About the Author

Jennifer Torres is the author of Stef Soto, Taco Queen; Flor and Miranda Steal the Show; The Fresh New Face of Griselda; and other books for young readers. She writes stories about home, friendship, and unexpected courage inspired by her Mexican American heritage. Jennifer started her career as a newspaper reporter, and even though she writes fiction now, she hopes her stories still have some truth in them. She lives with her family in Southern California.