FEBRUARY 2021 - AudioFile
Narrator Kyla Garcia manages to differentiate two sets of diverse twins in this story of escalating horseplay. When Ingrid and Winnie Lopez, the outgoing first daughters of the administration, decide to play a prank on their incoming counterparts, Skylar and Zora Williams, in a White House tradition, they never expect to set off a war of escalating tricks that spirals out of control. Telling the story in the alternating points of view of the four girls, Garcia expresses their shock, outrage, shame, and determination to best the others. This audiobook explores various themes, including friendship, prejudice, families, and dealing with public perception, in a humorous and fast-paced story. E.J.F. © AudioFile 2021, Portland, Maine
From the Publisher
Delightfully silly and enjoyable.” — Kirkus Reviews
"An entertaining read, and a clever reimagining of First Daughter tropes, showing that anyone can be in the White House and have fun doing so." — School Library Journal
“Fun, fast, and full of laughs, you’ve never seen the White House like this!" — Ally Carter, New York Times Bestselling Author of the Gallagher Girls
"A delightful story of pranks and misadventures, proving that friendships with rocky starts are often the best friendships of all." — Saadia Faruqi, author of A Place at the Table and the Yasmin series
"Laugh-out-loud funny and joyously optimistic, Shaking Up the House reminds us that even when things go utterly awry, good-intentioned and caring people can set them right again. Yamile Saied Méndez deftly juggles multiple viewpoints to weave together a timely tale of the power of tradition and friendship. And in these fraught times, the story of two first families coming together in respect and common purpose is a bromide for the soul." — David Bowles, award-winning author of They Call Me Güero and the 13th Street series
"Full of fun, mischief, and surprising insider secrets about the White House, this book will have readers laughing and cheering along with every new prank. The López and Williams girls definitely get my vote!" — Christina Soontorvant, author of The Changeling series and A Wish in the Dark
Praise for Where Are You From?: "Lyrical language and luminous illustrations. An ideal vehicle for readers to ponder and discuss their own identities." — Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
"An enchanted, hand-in-hand odyssey [and] opportunity to acknowledge and celebrate the many, many backgrounds, roots, histories, of those who live in these United States." — Shelf Awareness (starred review)
"A much-needed title that is a first purchase for libraries and classrooms." — School Library Journal
"This touching book addresses a ubiquitous question for children of color, and in the end, the closeness between the girl and Abuelo shows that no matter the questions, she knows exactly where she’s from." — Booklist
"Although the book begins as a gentle riposte to narrow cultural and ethnic categorizations, its conclusion reaches out to all readers, evoking both heritage and the human family." — Publishers Weekly
Shelf Awareness (starred review)
"An enchanted, hand-in-hand odyssey [and] opportunity to acknowledge and celebrate the many, many backgrounds, roots, histories, of those who live in these United States."
Saadia Faruqi
"A delightful story of pranks and misadventures, proving that friendships with rocky starts are often the best friendships of all."
award-winning author of They Call Me Güe David Bowles
"Laugh-out-loud funny and joyously optimistic, Shaking Up the House reminds us that even when things go utterly awry, good-intentioned and caring people can set them right again. Yamile Saied Méndez deftly juggles multiple viewpoints to weave together a timely tale of the power of tradition and friendship. And in these fraught times, the story of two first families coming together in respect and common purpose is a bromide for the soul."
Christina Soontorvant
"Full of fun, mischief, and surprising insider secrets about the White House, this book will have readers laughing and cheering along with every new prank. The López and Williams girls definitely get my vote!"
Booklist
"This touching book addresses a ubiquitous question for children of color, and in the end, the closeness between the girl and Abuelo shows that no matter the questions, she knows exactly where she’s from."
Ally Carter
Fun, fast, and full of laughs, you’ve never seen the White House like this!"
Booklist
"This touching book addresses a ubiquitous question for children of color, and in the end, the closeness between the girl and Abuelo shows that no matter the questions, she knows exactly where she’s from."
School Library Journal
12/01/2020
Gr 3–6—The latest arrival in the emerging genre of "presidential family" fiction. With young and new adult titles such as Casey McQuiston's Red, White, and Royal Blue and Shaun David Hutchison's The State of Us flying off the shelves, it is no surprise to see 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue as the backdrop for this middle grade title. Ingrid and Winnie Lopez have spent the last eight years at the White House as the country's first daughters. It is now time for them to turn the keys over to Skylar and Zora. However, preparations for the incoming family are delayed, and the four girls will have to stay under the same roof for several weeks. True to the White House's tradition of playing pranks on the incoming family, Ingrid and Winnie engage in an ongoing series of harmless gags with their successors. Events take an unfortunate turn when the pet ferret goes missing, and the girls' practical jokes interfere with official presidential business. Méndez has created a funny and diverse cast of characters subverting the representation usually seen in the White House. Ingrid and Winnie are Latina, and Skylar and Zora are African American. They openly talk about their experiences with racism and the pressure they feel to be on their best behavior. While their pranks began as innocent fun, they culminate in a touching friendship and show of solidarity. VERDICT An entertaining read, and a clever reimagining of First Daughter tropes, showing that anyone can be in the White House and have fun doing so.—Katherine Hickey, Metropolitan Lib. Syst., Oklahoma City
FEBRUARY 2021 - AudioFile
Narrator Kyla Garcia manages to differentiate two sets of diverse twins in this story of escalating horseplay. When Ingrid and Winnie Lopez, the outgoing first daughters of the administration, decide to play a prank on their incoming counterparts, Skylar and Zora Williams, in a White House tradition, they never expect to set off a war of escalating tricks that spirals out of control. Telling the story in the alternating points of view of the four girls, Garcia expresses their shock, outrage, shame, and determination to best the others. This audiobook explores various themes, including friendship, prejudice, families, and dealing with public perception, in a humorous and fast-paced story. E.J.F. © AudioFile 2021, Portland, Maine
Kirkus Reviews
2020-09-29
Two sets of sisters battle to be the best pranksters.
The López sisters, 12-year-old Winnie and 11-year-old Ingrid, have lived in the White House for the past eight years. As daughters of the first Latinx president, they’ve carried the burden of being perfect role models as well as they could despite Winnie’s impulsivity and Ingrid’s joker side. However, with only seven weeks left in their father’s presidency and the new first family staying as guests at the White House, the López sisters wholly embrace the tradition of pranking the incoming administration. With 12-year-old identical twins Zora and Skylar Williams moving in as the daughters of the first Black woman president, there are plenty of opportunities to perform elaborate jokes. The Williams twins retaliate with gusto, and soon the pranks escalate, causing trouble in the White House, endangering historical artifacts and First Ferret Lafayette, and leaving Secret Service agents scrambling to do their jobs. The girls must learn to restrain themselves before they do irreparable damage to their families’ images and their parents’ legacies. The story is told through chapters alternating among the four girls’ perspectives, giving a glimpse into their struggles to express their personal identities and the added pressures of being children of color in the public sphere. Readers who enjoy mischief will find this an amusing and instructive read in the art of pranking.
Delightfully silly and enjoyable. (Fiction. 8-12)
