SCHOOL VISIT: A Maleta Full of Treasures
Natalia's appearance is a school-visit only.
From an award-winning author and illustrator, a warm, gentle ode to cherished visits from grandparents and the people and places that make us who we are even if we haven’t met them yet.
It’s been three years since Abuela’s last visit, and Dulce revels in every tiny detail—from Abuela’s maletas full of candies in crinkly wrappers and gifts from primos to the sweet, earthy smell of Peru that floats out of Abuela’s room and down the hall. But Abuela’s visit can’t last forever, and all too soon she’s packing her suitcases again. Then Dulce has an idea: maybe there are things she can gather for her cousins and send with Abuela to remind them of the U.S. relatives they’ve never met. And despite having to say goodbye, Abuela has one more surprise for Dulce—something to help her remember that home isn’t just a place, but the deep-rooted love they share no matter the distance.
Natalia Sylvester
Natalia Sylvester is the Pura Belpré- and Schneider Family-honor winning author of the young adult novel Breathe and Count Back From Ten, and the award-winning author of the young adult novel Running and the adult novels Everyone Knows You Go Home and Chasing The Sun. Her first picture book A Maleta Full of Treasures, illustrated by Juana Medina, will be out April 16, 2024 from Penguin Random House.
Natalia's non-fiction has appeared in the New York Times, Bustle, Catapult, Electric Literature, Latina magazine, and McSweeney's Publishing. Her essays have been anthologized in collections such as A Map is Only One Story and A Measure of Belonging: Writers of Color on the New American South.
Born in Lima, Peru, Natalia came to the US at age four and grew up in Florida and the Rio Grande Valley in Texas. She received a BA in Creative Writing from the University of Miami, was a 2021 Visiting Associate Professor at the University of Texas at Austin, and was formerly a faculty member at the Mile-High MFA program at Regis University. She now lives in South Florida.