Today I am excited to be featuring the book Pack Your Bags, Maggie Diaz by Nina Moreno, illustrated by Courtney Lovett, on the Blog Tour hosted by Rockstar Book Tours! I am also sharing a giveaway, so be sure to read on. This post contains affiliate links, so if you use them and make a purchase, I may receive a small commission.
About The Book:
Title: Pack Your Bags, Maggie Diaz
Author: Nina Moreno, Courtney Lovett (Illustrator)
Genre: Middle Grade Contemporary
Publisher: Scholastic Press, 5/2/23
Source: Rockstar Book Tours
Find it: Goodreads, https://books2read.com/PACK-YOUR-BAGS-MAGGIE-DIAZ
Book Description:
This humorous and heartfelt middle-grade novel by Nina Moreno with illustrations by Courtney Lovett is perfect for fans of Celia C. Pérez and Terri Libenson.
Spring semester is here and Maggie is killing it! Her grades are up, she’s loving outdoor track and field, and being a seventh grader means the awesome spring break trip to St. Augustine is almost here. She can’t wait for her first overnight trip away from her overprotective parents, lovesick sister, and busybody abuela. Nothing will get in the way of Maggie having the best time ever with her two best friends, Zoey and Julian!
But all of Maggie’s plans for their unforgettable trip start to fall apart as everyone gets carried away with the upcoming dance instead. Even Julian has a crush―throwing their group dynamic into turmoil when he asks the new girl to be his date. Zoey’s so stressed with school that her straight A streak is in trouble . . . and why can’t Maggie stop thinking about Eerie Eddie? The three best friends have been inseparable for years, but everything is changing as everyone splits into twos, leaving Maggie unsure of where―and with who―she still fits.
About Nina Moreno:
Nina Moreno was born and raised in Miami until a hurricane sent her family toward the pines of Georgia where she picked up an accent. She’s a proud University of Florida Gator who once had her dream job of shelving books at the library. Inspired by the folklore and stories passed down to her from her Cuban and Colombian family, she now writes about disaster Latinx teens & tweens chasing their dreams, falling in love, and navigating life in the hyphen. Her first novel, Don’t Date Rosa Santos, was a Junior Library Guild Selection, Indie Next Pick for teen readers, and SIBA Okra Pick. The companion YA novel featuring the same beloved town of Port Coral, Our Way Back to Always, is out now with Little, Brown Books for Young Readers. Her MG debut, Join the Club, Maggie Diaz, was available from Scholastic in 2022.
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My Review:
Unfortunately, when I signed up to review this book and from reading the book description and cover, there was no indication that this was a sequel! So, having not read Join The Club, Maggie Diaz, I was not familiar with the characters or the story and I kept thinking to myself that the book felt like a sequel. Well, it is! Luckily, I was definitely brought up to date about Maggie and her family from the way this story was told, referring back to things that had happened in the past.
This book is about Maggie’s excitement for her 7th grade class trip and her hope that she will have bonding time with her two close friends on the trip. However, Julian has a crush on a new girl in the class and Zoey is too concerned about her grades to think about the trip. Plus, Maggie begins to have feelings for another student, Eddie. This is a cute story about the friend issues that begin to happen when crushes are involved and I loved getting a direct look at the characters via the illustrations!
Pack Your Bags, Maggie Diaz Giveaway:
1 winner will receive a finished copy of Pack Your Bags, Maggie Diaz, US Only.
Ends May 16th, midnight EST.
Tour Schedule:
Week One:
| 5/1/2023 | The Chirpy Bookaholic | Guest Post or Excerpt/IG Post |
| 5/1/2023 | A Backwards Story | Guest Post or Excerpt/IG Post |
| 5/2/2023 | YA Books Central | Excerpt/IG Post (when available) |
| 5/2/2023 | The Momma Spot | Guest Post or Excerpt |
| 5/3/2023 | Two Chicks on Books | Guest Post or Excerpt/IG Post |
| 5/3/2023 | #BRVL Book Review Virginia Lee Blog | Guest Post or Excerpt/IG Post |
| 5/4/2023 | Cara North | Guest Post or Excerpt/IG Post |
| 5/4/2023 | A Dream Within A Dream | Guest Post or Excerpt |
| 5/5/2023 | A Blue Box Full of Books | Review/IG Post |
| 5/5/2023 | Confessions of the Perfect Mom | Review/IG Post |
Week Two:
| 5/8/2023 | Country Mamas With Kids | Review/IG Post |
| 5/8/2023 | @stargirls.magical.tale | Review/IG Post |
| 5/9/2023 | Jenguerdy | Review/IG Post |
| 5/9/2023 | @get.outside.and.read | Review/IG Post |
| 5/10/2023 | Books With a Chance | Review/IG Post |
| 5/10/2023 | Not In Jersey | Review/IG Post |
| 5/11/2023 | Author Z. Knight’s Guild | Review/IG Post |
| 5/11/2023 | @froggyreadteach | Review/IG Post |
| 5/12/2023 | OneMoreExclamation | Review/IG Post |
| 5/12/2023 | Two Points of Interest | Review/IG Post |
I think reading the previous book in the series as well as this one would be an enjoyable experience for younger middle grade readers.
