About this event

Join author Anna Lapera and educators Franca Muller Paz and Edwin Pérez for a night of book talk, teaching ideas, and celebration of activism for middle grade literature!

About the Book:

Twelve-year-old Mani Semilla has so many worries: her grandmother’s mind is drifting, she is constantly arguing with her mother, and her summer is being coopted by a trip to Guatemala for reasons she neither wants nor understands. Thank goodness for her best friends, who call themselves Las Nerdas. But when a personal anatomy class at school leads to negative attention, she is at a loss and angry. A hidden trove of lost letters from a missing aunt to her mother opens her eyes and she begins to realize that together with Las Nerdas she must find her voice and stand up for herself and others who are being mistreated. Connecting to her family, her cultural heritage in Guatemala, and the others being bullied at school, finally Mani Semilla Finds Her Quetzal Voice. 

About the Author and Guests:

Anna Lapera teaches middle school by day and writes stories about girls stepping into their power in the early hours of the morning. She is a member of Las Musas, a 2022 Macondista and Kweli Journal mentee, and has received support from Tin House, Kweli and SCBWI. When she's not writing, you can find her visiting trails and coffee shops in Silver Spring, Maryland, where she lives with her family. Mani Semilla Finds Her Quetzal Voice is her debut novel. 

Franca Muller Paz is an educator and elected leader in the Baltimore Teachers Union, with over thirteen years of experience in the classroom. Named in the Baltimore Sun's 25 Women to Watch, as well as the recipient of the Baltimore City's Mayor's Office of Hispanic Heritage Educator Award, she has played a pivotal role in the leadership development of youth. 

Edwin Pérez is an educator, activist and former librarian in the region. He is a nominee for the 2024 Educator of the Year award by the Latinx Education Collaborative. When not teaching, you can find him performing baritone opera with local community arts initiatives throughout the state