The Girl, the Ring, & the Baseball Bat

Gr 9 Up–Rosie is a Capricorn who works hard to achieve her goal of getting far away from her school. Caro, her older sister, is a Leo who plays life by her own rules and finds herself never on the same page as her mom. Zeke is a Pisces who loves love and is waiting for his opportunity to find it while navigating family issues. In this novel told from alternating viewpoints, Rosie, Caro, and Zeke each acquire talismans that possess unique powers. Rosie owns a magical jacket that makes anyone do whatever she says, Caro a baseball bat that fixes anything it breaks, and Zeke a manifestation stone that will make anyone fall in love with him. What happens when these characters find themselves together? A hilariously great time. In this novel filled with vivid details, wit, and relatable characters, Gomera-Tavarez displays pride in Latinx culture by interlacing plenty of Spanish dialogue that allows authenticity to be the driving force in a YA novel of magical realism.