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Junior Library Guild, SpiritOfTexas, TxInstituteOfLetters Best Middle Grade Book, Américas Award Honor Book, ALA Notable Book, Int’l Latino Book Awards Finalist, Pura Belpré Honor Book

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Praise for The Other Half Of Happy

Starred review: “Balcárcel’s well-rounded characters, complex friendships, and nuanced family dynamics will resonate with many readers. This is a title that will remain relevant long past its publication date. A must-have for all library collections.” –School Library Journal

Starred review: “With poetic, flowing prose that sometimes feels more like a song and characters so convincing that they seem real, Balcárcel’s stunning debut depicts the struggles of being raised with two cultures and the challenges of not being “authentic” enough—in this case, “not Guatemalan enough” or “not American enough.” A lovely, moving, and realistic view of the struggles and insecurities—as well as the beauty—that comes from being bicultural.” — Selenia Paz

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Cover reveal for SHINE ON, LUZ VÉLIZ!

I must admit: I squealed with joy a couple of weeks ago to learn that Mr. Schu, THE John Schu, had agreed to host the cover reveal of my new novel on his blog. A rock star of the kid lit world, a teacher and blogger, Mr. Schu has done posts about almost all of… Continue reading Cover reveal for SHINE ON, LUZ VÉLIZ!

Assimilation vs. Heritage Author Panel

My Tips on How to Write a Novel — what I can fit in 20 minutes!

Imagination and Inquiry — A Talk on NCTE’s theme of 2019

Pre-amble: In November of 2019, I was excited to be able to attend the National Conference of Teachers of English in Baltimore. One of many delicious moments was this talk about Imagination and Inquiry and its connection to my book, The Other Half of Happy. When I was eleven years old, my abuelos flew all… Continue reading Imagination and Inquiry — A Talk on NCTE’s theme of 2019

“A White Female” — huh?

Police lights flashed in my rearview. Hadn’t I stopped at that stop sign? Not fully. I pulled over right away. At least I wasn’t late to anything. Soon the officer spoke into his microphone, “Bravo, Alpha, Lincoln . . .” In this way he spelled my name, letter by letter, to some listener. Then he… Continue reading “A White Female” — huh?

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A community college English teacher and regular presenter, Rebecca Balcárcel leads adventures for grade-schoolers through adults. As part of her upbeat, interactive presentations, attendees explore the writing process, craft elements, and behind-the-scenes secrets of her novels. Click here to contact Rebecca. “Prof. Balcarcel is such a sweetheart! I am currently taking her class and it… Continue reading Invite Rebecca

“I love these videos! Thank you so much for doing this. You have a conversational authenticity that keeps your videos casual and easily digestible!” — Hurtubise, a fan of Rebecca’s SixMinuteScholar. Come over and watch these talks on literature and writing!

Fan of Rebecca’s YouTube channel

“Prof. Balcarcel is such a sweetheart! I am currently taking her class and it exceeded expectations. She manages to engage all students with very interesting lessons. Her grading is amazing; she gives good feedback. She really strives to improve your writing. Would take this again!” — Composition I student

Fan of Rebecca’s teaching