Donna Barba Higuera

Donna Barba Higuera grew up in the oilfields of Central California and has spent her entire life blending folklore with her experiences into stories. Her Middle Grade and Picture Books are about kids who find themselves in odd or scary situations.  Lupe Wong, our hero in Lupe Wong Won’t Dance (Levine Querido) is a sports-loving girl who refuses to stay in her lane. She is going to be the first female pitcher in the Major Leagues. She’s championed causes her whole young life. Some worthy, like expanding the options for race on school tests beyond just a few bubbles, and others not so much — like complaining to the BBC about the length between Doctor Who seasons. Lupe needs an A in all her classes in order to meet her favorite pitcher, Fu Li Hernandez, who’s Chinacan/Mexinese just like her. So when the horror that is square dancing rears its head in gym she’s not gonna let that slide. Publisher Weekly, in a starred review, called Higuera’s debut “a home run, with a plot as multifaceted and compelling as her characters, whose nuanced voices and varied range of interests ring wholly true.”