A Seed in the Sun

Cover Art by Karina Perez

What critics are saying...

"A powerful coming- of-age story filled with evocative language, memorable characters, and apt nature imagery."
- The Horn Book starred review

"There is a special power in historical fiction’s ability to blend real issues and events with engaging characters, turning the past into a living, breathing thing. Salazar accomplishes this beautifully in her new novel in verse set in 1965 California during the Farmworker’s Movement."​
- ALA Booklist Starred Review 

"Compelling and atmospheric"
 - Kirkus
Publisher: Dial Books
Pages: 272 
ISBN: ​9780593406601

Tomás Rivera Mexican American Children's Book Award Winner
2023

A farm working girl with big dreams meets activist Dolores Huerta and joins the 1965 protest for migrant workers' rights in this tender-hearted middle grade novel in verse, perfect for fans of Rita Williams-Garcia and Pam Munoz Ryan. 

Lula Viramontes dreams of one day becoming someone whom no one can ignore: a daring ringleader in a Mexican traveling carpa, despite her father's traditional views of what girls should be. When her family arrives for the grape harvest in Delano, California, Lula meets activist Dolores Huerta and el Teatro Campesino (the official theater company of the United Farm Workers). She discovers an even more pressing reason to raise her voice: the upcoming farm workers' strike, an event that will determine her family's future--for better or worse.
Publisher's Weekly Announcement : 

​Nancy Mercado at Dial has acquired, in an exclusive submission, A Seed in the Sun by Aida Salazar (The Moon Within and Land of the Cranes). The middle grade historical fiction novel follows a 12-year-old girl from a migrant farm-working family with big dreams of becoming a carpa ringmaster. She meets Dolores Huerta and joins the United Farm Workers' Delano Grape Strike of 1965 with the hope of working with the Teatro Campesino to help change the future for her family and others. Publication is set for spring 2022; Marietta Zacker at Gallt and Zacker Literary handled the deal for English and Spanish North American rights.

Cover Revealed! 

Thrilled to share with you the beautiful cover of A SEED IN THE SUN created by illustrator, Karina Perez and designed by Jess Jenkins, edited by Nancy Mercado. The cover reveal was hosted by We Need Diverse Books.