Salazar, Aida. Ultraviolet. Scholastic, 04/2024. 304pp. Fiction. Trade $18.99. 978-1-3387-7565-5. GRADES 5–10. OUTSTANDING.
Thirteen-year-old Elio Solis has fallen hard for the girl of his sueños, dreamy Camelia. In this highly accessible and true-to-life story of a Mexican boy living his life with his parents and two little sisters in Oakland, California, author Salazar transports readers via verse to the seldom encountered world of newly pubescent boys. Filling a glaring gap for middle-grade readers, this book translates what it’s like to be a boy in the throes of a growing body, exploring changing expectations, machismo stereotypes, and the concept of consent. The language richly incorporates some Spanish to help describe the explosive feelings Elio has, comparing his feelings to “lava,” worrying over a just-discovered physical heart problem, and recognizing the color that surrounds his newfound love is, every time, ultraviolet. Funny, relatable, heartwarming, with a strong sense of family and cultural pride, this Pura Belpré Honor book is an outstanding and needed addition to any library collection. Includes California-specific content.
Pauline Harris—San Francisco Public Library