Carmen Tafolla – författare

Celina and her family follow both Mexican and United States traditions, and she revels in her Mexican American heritage. But at school it feels like the world wants to erase that part of her identity, as her name is repeatedly mispronounced, her people’s stories are left out of textbooks and lessons, and some classmates choose to treat her as a second-class citizen. Fortunately, she makes three wonderful friends who help her fight the ignorance. And her gramma, Celina’s biggest inspiration, shows her how to build a shield of joy around herself that can’t be pierced by defeat. Some days, though, it’s hard to find the joy - like when her dad’s deported or when a pandemic hits. Then Celina turns to her writing, which turns out to give a lot of people joy. And she determines that no matter what, she’ll always live up to her last name: Guerrera - woman warrior; and use her talents and courage to make the world a more beautiful place where all cultures are celebrated.