Title: Brownstone by Samuel Teer, illustrated by Mar Julia
Book Beginnings sample page:
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| Fourteen-year-old Almudena's mother is leaving for a summer, Almudena goes to stay with her Spanish-speaking Guatemalan father, whom she's meeting for the first time. |
Friday56 sample page:
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| Almudena doesn't speak Spanish and so she has to rely on other neighbors to translate for her since her father does not speak English. |
Summary:
Samuel Teer's Brownstone is the 2025 winner of the American Library Association's Michael L. Printz Award for a book that exemplifies literary excellence in young adult literature. The story's a graphic novel about a young teen coming to terms with her mixed identity during a first summer with her father. Almudena goes to stay with her Spanish-speaking Guatemalan father for a summer, whom she's meeting for the first time. As they work together to renovate a ‘Brownstone' townhome, they must learn to communicate all the things they've never had a chance to say. Along the way, Almudena learns about the struggles the people from her father's Latino neighborhood face, including discrimination and gentrification. It is a powerful coming-of-age story. (Common Sense Media)
Review: I've been a fan of the Printz Award for years so I was delighted to learn that Brownstone was selected as this year's winner. “Teer crafts a beautiful story of a teen girl reconnecting with her father and learning about her Guatemalan heritage, while Julia’s moving artwork elevates the story,” said Printz Committee Chair Jacqueline E. Bush (ALA).
Not only did Brownstone win the 2025 Printz Award, it also won the Cybils Award for best Young Adult Graphic Novel. In the award statement the committee said,
As Almudena navigates language barriers and cultural differences, she embarks on a profound journey of self-discovery, exploring themes of identity, family, and belonging while helping her father rebuild his home. The novel’s powerful narrative is complemented by warm, elaborate, captivating illustrations that vividly portray the neighborhood, its people, and their lives. The character’s relationships are genuine and endearing, evolving beautifully over the course of the story. Through both the heartfelt storyline and the expressive artwork, Brownstone offers a moving exploration of bridging cultural divides and reconnecting with one’s roots (Cybils).
I always appreciate a well-crafted graphic novel and this one has it all: compelling plot, interesting characters who show growth and maturity, a story that many teens can relate to, and a current issue. I highly recommend it. Since I quoted what everyone else said about the book, above, I thought you'd appreciate what I said about the book on Goodreads right after I finished it:
Lots to unpack in this genuinely terrific graphic novel. Paternity. Parenthood. Culture. Poverty. Immigration. Child/Parent bonding. Friendship. LGBTQ+ acceptance. Mental illness/head injury. Language acquisition/ barriers. Coming-of-age. Traditions. Love.
My Rating: 5 stars.
