Iveliz Explains It All by Andrea Beatriz Arango

Iveliz Explains It All

by Andrea Beatriz Arango Novel in Verse Ages 10+, grades 5+ Newberry Honor Book 2023

Summary

Iveliz has become known as both troubled and a trouble-maker, but she is determined to turn things around this year. This bilingual novel-in-verse, presented in diary format, follows the titular character through her seventh-grade school year as she faces the standard junior high obstacles of bullies, school drama, and self-consciousness, as well as some less-standard but incredibly genuine challenges of grief and loss, changing family dynamics, and PTSD. Through one-sided conversations with her journal, Iveliz navigates her own mental illness, that of her grandmother Mimi who moves in with them from Puerto Rico, and discovers what it means to have-- and to be-- a good friend. She eventually learns to speak her truth and advocate for herself, and also to really listen to the voices of those she holds most dear.

Justification

Iveliz Explains It All is formatted as a novel-in-verse, and was a Newberry Honor Book in 2023. I chose this book in part because of its accolades, part because of its reading level (I am seeking more exposure to middle-grade YA literature), and part because it is bilingual. As a bilingual mother of two little kids, we read a lot of bilingual children’s literature in my attempt to ingrain some of that linguistic fluidity in them. Iveliz Explains It All piqued that personal interest, and offers exemplary code-meshing of English and Spanish throughout the book. Arango weaves the two languages through the story with remarkable ease, often offering contextual hints and explanations instead of direct translations for English-only readers to navigate the Spanish text. This maintains a natural rhythm and pace of the writing even when rapidly switching back and forth.

Response

In this debut novel Arango tackles several hard-hitting topics: race, identity, immigration, grief, loss of a parent, generational trauma, mental illness and related stigma to name a few. She does so with notable grace; while some themes are more important to the overall plot than others, none feel as if they get swept under the rug and all are presented as formative parts of Iveliz’s experience. Even with the subject depth, there is also an entertaining air of angsty, awkward humor in the voice of the 12-year-old protagonist. At moments, the two combine to hit a cultural nail directly on the head, like when she becomes understandably irate at the ongoing mispronunciation of her name and that of her best friend, Amir: “Like, hello? / How hard is it to ask kids what they want to be called, / and then learn it?” The book is printed in a handwriting-style font on a notepaper background to evoke the feel of a diary. As an aspiring slam poet Iveliz subscribes to free verse, and responds to her father’s good-natured jeering with “Plus, I’ve read books in verse. / He can’t trick me– / I know there aren’t any rules when it’s a journal / just like there aren’t any rules / when Safia Elhillo or Sarah Kay / Or Mahogany L. Browne steps onstage.” In addition to its occasionally lyrical entries, there are bulleted lists and sketchy illustrations that feel true to pre-teen journal doodles. This approachable story illustrates major struggles in a pre-teen context, as well as the process of learning to manage those struggles with healthy coping mechanisms, honest communication, forgiveness, and the support of loving family and friends.

Arango, A.B. (2022). Iveliz explains it all (A. Bermudez, Illus). Penguin Random House.