Reader Guides
Reader Guides for The Only Road and El único destino are here!
The Only Road Reader’s Guide El unico destino guia para lectura en grupos
Awards and Special Recognition!
The Only Road is going places and picking up notable mentions along the way…
Pura Belpré Honor book
“Presented annually [by the American Library Association] to a Latino/Latina writer and illustrator whose work best portrays, affirms, and celebrates the Latino cultural experience in an outstanding work of literature for children and youth.”
Américas Award Winner
“CLASP founded the Américas Award in 1993 to encourage and commend authors, illustrators and publishers who produce quality children’s and young adult books that portray Latin America, the Caribbean, or Latinos in the United States, and to provide teachers with recommendations for classroom use.”
International Latino Book Award finalist
“The Int’l Latino Book Awards is a major refection that the fastest growing group in the USA has truly arrived. The Awards are now by far the largest Latino cultural Awards in the USA.”
Both the English and Spanish editions are finalists!
Bank Street Best Children’s Books List
“THE CHILDREN’S BOOK COMMITTEE at Bank Street College of Education strives to guide librarians, educators, parents, grandparents, and other interested adults to the best books for children published each year.”
Action Book Club Selection
“Action Book Club theme: Many Voices. These books celebrate diversity, our differences, and the similarities that connect us all.”
Book Trailers!
Why should Hollywood have all the fun? Check out the book trailers of my latest books!
The Only Road
Good Girls Don’t Lie
Books, Video | tags: Alexandra Diaz, Book trailer, book videos, Good Girls Don't Lie, The only road |
Good Girls Don’t Lie
Josie Figueroa is the girl no one in la familia has to worry about. She’s smart, responsible, and reliable.
The good girl.
Except her life isn’t as perfect as everyone believes. Her older brothers are overprotective and clueless; her dream-boy leads her on, and dumps her.
And then there’s cousin Margarita who can’t deal with her own life, much less a deadbeat husband and two small children.
That’s okay because there’s always Josie-to-the-rescue, Josie who will take care of everything for everyone else. After all, it’s not like Josie doesn’t have problems of her own, it’s not like she’s fifteen, pregnant, and every choice she makes feels like the wrong one.
The Only Road / El único destino
“Powerful and timely.” Starred review from Booklist
“An important, must-have addition to the growing body of literature with immigrant themes.” Starred review from School Library Journal
Twelve-year-old Jaime makes the treacherous and life-changing journey from his home in Guatemala to live with his older brother in the United States in this gripping and realistic middle grade novel.
Jaime is sitting on his bed drawing when he hears a scream. Instantly, he knows: Miguel, his cousin and best friend, is dead.
Everyone in Jaime’s small town in Guatemala knows someone who has been killed by the Alphas, a powerful gang that’s known for violence and drug trafficking. Anyone who refuses to work for them is hurt or killed—like Miguel. With Miguel gone, Jaime fears that he is next. There’s only one choice: accompanied by his cousin Ángela, Jaime must flee his home to live with his older brother in New Mexico.
Inspired by true events, The Only Road is an individual story of a boy who feels that leaving his home and risking everything is his only chance for a better life. It is a story of fear and bravery, love and loss, strangers becoming family, and one boy’s treacherous and life-changing journey.
El único destino
En esta absorbente y emocionante novela juvenil, Jaime de doce años emprende el peligroso y traicionero viaje que le transforma su vida de su hogar en Guatemala a Estados Unidos para vivir con su hermano mayor.
Jaime está sentado en su cama dibujando cuando oye un grito. Sabe inmediatamente que su primo hermano y mejor amigo, Miguel, está muerto.
Todos en el pequeño pueblo de Guatemala donde Jaime vive conocen a alguien que ha sido asesinado por los Alfas, una pandilla poderosa que es conocida por su violencia y por el tráfico de drogas. Aquellos que rehúsan trabajar para ellos son atacados o asesinados como Miguel. Jaime y su prima Ángela, la hermana de Miguel, temen que ellos van a ser los próximos. Solamente hay un camino para ambos. Deben de salir huyendo de su hogar en Guatemala para irse a vivir con el hermano mayor de Jaime en Nuevo México.
Inspirada en hechos actuales, El único destino es la historia de un niño que siente que abandonar su hogar y emprender esta travesía es su única oportunidad para tener mejor calidad de vida. Es una historia de pánico y de valentía, de amor y de pérdida, donde personas extrañoas se convierten en familia en el viaje peligroso que le cambia la vida a un niño.
¡Se puede ordenar ahora por internet o por su librería local!
Books, News and Events | tags: Alexandra Diaz, el unico destino, Guatemala, immigration, The only road |
Roller Girls!
When Annie moves from London to a small American town in the Mid-West, she struggles to fit in. She gets off to a bad start when she makes an enemy of her school’s queen bee, Kelsey. But she discovers a new passion the exciting sport of roller derby and makes friends with the cool and quirky girls on her team, the Liberty Belles. She also meets Jesse, the friendly boy who works at the roller rink, and Tyler, a cute all-American sports star.
Annie and Tyler are going out! OK, he can be a bit controlling sometimes, but Annie’s never had a boyfriend before so she assumes that’s what they’re like. Her roller derby team, the Liberty Belles, are in top position in the league but are they getting over-confident? Annie misses a few practice sessions so she can spend time with Tyler. As punishment, she gets left on the bench at a big bout. The whole team needs to refocus, especially Annie.
Free shipping worldwide available through The Book Depository.
These books were written on commission (under the name Megan Sparks), which in this case means, it was someone else’s idea and I was hired to write it.
Of All the Stupid Things
Now a NM Book Award Finalist and An ALA Rainbow List book!
Contact Alexandra for an autographed bookplate!
When a rumor starts circulating that Tara’s boyfriend has been with one of the guy cheerleaders, the innuendo doesn’t just hurt Tara. It marks the beginning of the end for three lifelong friends.
Tara’s training for a marathon, but also running from her fear of abandonment from her father.
Whitney Blaire seems to have everything, but an empty mansion and absentee parents leave her looking for her own value in the wrong places.
And Pinkie has a compulsive need to mother everyone to make up for the mama she’s never stopped missing.
Then the new girl arrives in school and Tara starts to feel things she’s never felt for before for a girl. Can the girls’ friendship survive when all the rules have changed?
Available as a eBook re-titled When We Were.
If you’re interested in print copies, I still have some left so please contact me directly!
Books |
A Book and a Chat with Barry Eva
I had the great opportunity to appear on this radio show. Click on the image below if you’d like to listen. Best enjoyed with a cuppa and some biscuits.
Class of 2k10 video
I belong to a great group of debut 2010 authors called Class of 2k10. This video is a mini trailer of all our books. Hope you enjoy!
Video |
