Marquardt, Marie

Marie Marquardt is the author of the YA novels Dream Things True, The Radius of Us, and Flight Season. She has also published articles and co-authored two nonfiction books about Latin American immigration to the U.S. South. Does My Body Offend You? (Knopf Books for Young Readers), co-authored with Mayra Cuevas, tells the story of Malena Rosario and Ruby McAllister. When Malena – a Puerto Rican girl stuck in Florida after Hurricane María destroyed her home – goes to school bra-less after a bad sunburn and is humiliated by the school administration into covering up, Ruby just can’t keep quiet about it. She’s a Seattle girl with a reputation as the school’s outspoken feminist. Malena and Ruby didn’t expect to be the leaders of a school rebellion, but that’s where they find themselves. Still, they’ll have to face their insecurities, biases, and privileges if they want to stand up for their ideals and – ultimately – themselves.