Marisol and Magdalena: The Sound of Our Sisterhood

by Veronica Chambers

FOR USE IN SCHOOLS AND LIBRARIES ONLY. Separated from her best friend in Brooklyn, 13-year-old Marisol spends a year with her grandmother in Panama where she secretly searches for her real father.

Genres: Young Adult, Fiction, Childrens, Juvenile

141 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1998

About the author

Veronica Chambers is a prolific author, best known for her critically acclaimed memoir, Mama’s Girl, which has been course adopted by hundreds of high schools and colleges throughout the country. The New Yorker called Mama’s Girl “a troubling testament to grit and mother love… one of the finest and most evenhanded in the genre in recent years.” Born in Panama and raised in Brooklyn, Ms. Chambers' work often reflects her Afro-Latina heritage.

Her most recent non-fiction book was Kickboxing Geishas: How Japanese Women are Changing their Nation. Her other non-fiction books include The Joy of Doing Things Badly: A Girl’s Guide to Love, Life, and Foolish Bravery. She has also written more than a dozen books for children, most recently Celia Cruz, Queen of Salsa and the body confidence Y/A novel, Plus. Her teen series, Amigas, is a collaboration between Chambers, producer Jane Startz, and Jennifer Lopez.

Veronica spent two seasons as an executive story editor for CW’s hit series Girlfriends, and earned a BET Comedy Award for her script work on that series. She has also written and developed projects for Fox and the N.

Veronica has contributed to several anthologies, including the best-selling Bitch in the House, edited by Cathi Hanuaer, and Mommy Wars, edited by Leslie Morgan Steiner.

A graduate of Simon’s Rock College at Bard, she and her husband have endowed three scholarships at the college in the fields of music and literature. She has been the recipient of several awards including the Hodder fellowship for emerging novelists at Princeton University and a National Endowment for the Arts fiction award. She speaks, reads and writes Spanish, but she is truly fluent in Spanglish. She lives with her husband and daughter in Hoboken, New Jersey.

Reviews

[Xiao Yan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Marisol and Magdalena are best friends living in Brooklyn. Both of their relatives try to teach them about their culture and native land.Both girls claim that they are too "American" to learn about their background.Marisol's mother sends her to Panama to live with her grandma and learn about her homeland. therefore, Marisol and Magdalena are separated. And everything becomes a test for them both. To see if they can still keep their friendship. This book was very boring and not very fun to read but it teaches the reader why it it important to learn about themselves. I would recomend this to people that like growing up books, but it is kind of boring.

[Vivienne Neal · Rating 5 out of 5]

Someone had left this book on the table in the lobby of my co-op. I was going to pass it on to my cousin for her grandchildren to read. However, when I started to read the book, I could not put it down. It is a wonderful read, and all ages will enjoy this book about the coming of age of two teenagers, who are best friends. Although they are from the same ethnic background, one of them returns to their native country. You begin to see how American culture has a major impact on how the girls see the world. The author also points out that every culture has his or her own perspectives as to how they see their world.

[Brittney Wright]

i believe that this book explains the true meaning of friendship. i love this book because this book also describes how you can travel to new places, meet new people and still come back to the place where you were from and still mend your friendship with the others that you left behind by a few simple words!

[Karina Tavarez · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was about too bestfriends Marisol and Magdalena. Marisol finds out she is moving to Panama because her mother thinks thats what is best for her. Magdalena finds out to and she gets less close to Marisol but when they have to say good-bye Magdalena apologizes. Marisol never thought she was going to like Panama but she gets use to it and starts sharing the same love for it at her mother .

[Arlienny · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is about a girl called marisol that lives with her mom in new york city.Once her mom wanted to send her to her grandmothers house in panama but marisol didn't want to go.After she was in her grandmother house she was looking for her fther cause he never seen him or talk to him sice sge wus born.

[Snow]

i learned from this book that is not easy living the one's you love to meet people you dont know and move to a weird place you never been to.This girl is very strong cause she did it on her own and she made it

[Sasa · Rating 4 out of 5]

awsome book

[The FountainPenDiva, Old school geek chick and lover of teddy bears · Rating 5 out of 5]

First of all, how often are Afro-Latinas ever featured on the covers of ANYTHING? And even though this is a Disney publishing venture, I have to give them credit for not whitewashing.

[Rowena · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is what made me desperate to go to Panama, ever since I read it as a child. Lovely story.

[Dakota]

I just want ot read it again

[miranda nikole 🧮 · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have been trying to find out what this book was called FOREVER. I read it back in seventh grade and I actually really enjoyed it. Now that I have the title, I think I'll go back and re-read it!

[Entrigue Saturday · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book.

[Grace · Rating 2 out of 5]

Around the World Reading Challenge: PANAMA
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Sweet middle-grade book about two best friends in NYC who are about to go into their Freshman year of college when one of them gets sent to live in Panama for a year with her grandmother so her mother can focus on finishing her studies. I thought this was an enjoyable read, but I'm really baffled that nobody mentions that the book seems to just end in the middle of the story. IDK if the author just lost steam or what, but it truly felt like I read half of a book -- there was no real conclusion, and every single thread was left wide open. It ultimately made for an unsatisfying reading experience, and I'm really confused and unclear as to why the decision was made to end it before the year in Panama was even halfway finished... I think this may have been a 3-4 star read if it was a full book, but for the half-story we got, I can't give it more than a 2.

[Amanda Chaloupka · Rating 4 out of 5]

Marisol and Magdalena by Veronica Chambers is about a girl who lives in New York City, but she has to move to live with her grandmother in Panama for a year. The main character, Marisol, is funny, smart, and thoughtful. She is sad that she has to leave her best friend when she goes to Panama. The book takes place in Brooklyn and Panama in the present. The most important message from this book is that there is enough space in your heart to love two places and many people. I liked this book because Marisol is open to new experiences, and she learns a lot about herself and her mother’s country. I recommend this book to people who immigrate because they understand Marisol’s difficulty of living in two cultures at the same time. I do feel like this book ended in the middle. I would have liked to see how Magdalena's visit was, and how Marisol returns to New York after her year in Panama.

[Jasmine Roberson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got this book from the Scholastic book fair at my elementary school many, many years ago around the time of its release and it was one of my favorite books from childhood. I distinctly remember buying it because of the two Black girls on the cover and being confused that they were Panamanian; it was my earliest introduction to the African diaspora.

I loved both characters and learning about their culture, their lives in New York, and how difficult it was for them to fit in while being true to themselves and their families.

Also love that I can still follow Veronica Chambers’ work to this day. 10/10.

[Ovuvuevuevue Enyetuenwuevue · Rating 5 out of 5]

its a good book

[Yeelen]

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[Kameron Foreman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it!!!!!!!!!!!!