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Hillside Valley #1
Speak Up, Santiago!: A Hillside Valley Graphic Novel
How can you speak up if you don't have the words?
Santi is excited to spend the summer in Hillside Valley, meeting the local kids, eating his Abuela's delicious food, exploring! There's just one problem—Santi doesn't speak Spanish that well and it feels like everyone he meets in Hillside does. There's Sol (she's a soccer player who really loves books), Willie, (the artist), Alejandro (Santi's unofficial tour guide!), and Nico (Alejandro's brother and blue belt in karate). In between all of their adventures in Hillside, Santi can't help but worry about his Spanish-what if he can't keep up?! Does that mean he's not Colombian enough? Will Santi find his confidence and his voice? Or will his worries cost him his new friendships...and the chance to play in HIlliside's summer soccer tournament?!
Santi is excited to spend the summer in Hillside Valley, meeting the local kids, eating his Abuela's delicious food, exploring! There's just one problem—Santi doesn't speak Spanish that well and it feels like everyone he meets in Hillside does. There's Sol (she's a soccer player who really loves books), Willie, (the artist), Alejandro (Santi's unofficial tour guide!), and Nico (Alejandro's brother and blue belt in karate). In between all of their adventures in Hillside, Santi can't help but worry about his Spanish-what if he can't keep up?! Does that mean he's not Colombian enough? Will Santi find his confidence and his voice? Or will his worries cost him his new friendships...and the chance to play in HIlliside's summer soccer tournament?!
224 pages, Library Binding
Published March 4, 2025
44 people are currently reading
295 people want to read
About the author
Julio Anta
18 books78 followersJulio Anta is the writer of many graphic novels including the Eisner Award-nominated Frontera, This Land Is Our Land: A Blue Beetle Story, Home and Sí, Se Puede: The Latino Heroes Who Changed the United States.
Julio was born and raised in Miami, Florida and currently resides in New York City.
Forthcoming work includes a slate of graphic novels for HarperAlley, Random House Graphic and First Second.
Julio was born and raised in Miami, Florida and currently resides in New York City.
Forthcoming work includes a slate of graphic novels for HarperAlley, Random House Graphic and First Second.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 101 reviews
November 25, 2025
Great read and illustrations! This story touched base on relationship with grandma, Spanish language, home cooking meals, soccer, and friendship.
This graphic novel followed Santiago aka Santi. Santiago didn't grow up speaking Spanish at home. He took classes at school as he got older. This summer, he's going to visit and stay with his grandma for a month in the country. He's going to put his Spanish skills to the test and he's very nervous. His grandma's understanding of English is very minimal so he's expected to be all in! His dad came with him to drop him off but won't be there to do the translation. While in town, he made a few friends. Turns out they loved soccer too. There's a team and tournament that summer and Santi was invited to join.
Santi's Spanish was good with his grandma, but hard to keep up when he meet his grandma's friends. It sounded like they spoke too fast. They also made fun of his accent, which made him doubt his Spanish skills.
Good friendship story. Everyone was nice and welcoming. Hanging out with grandma is great because she cooks many wonderful home cooked meals and told stories about family.
Thank you Randomhousekids for the opportunity to read and review.
This graphic novel followed Santiago aka Santi. Santiago didn't grow up speaking Spanish at home. He took classes at school as he got older. This summer, he's going to visit and stay with his grandma for a month in the country. He's going to put his Spanish skills to the test and he's very nervous. His grandma's understanding of English is very minimal so he's expected to be all in! His dad came with him to drop him off but won't be there to do the translation. While in town, he made a few friends. Turns out they loved soccer too. There's a team and tournament that summer and Santi was invited to join.
Santi's Spanish was good with his grandma, but hard to keep up when he meet his grandma's friends. It sounded like they spoke too fast. They also made fun of his accent, which made him doubt his Spanish skills.
Good friendship story. Everyone was nice and welcoming. Hanging out with grandma is great because she cooks many wonderful home cooked meals and told stories about family.
Thank you Randomhousekids for the opportunity to read and review.
May 31, 2025
Another book that I dived into without reading the synopsis and was pleasantly surprised by the storytelling. Speak Up, Santiago is a beautifully illustrated graphic novel that explores the ups and downs of what it's like to not be fluent in a language that is native to your community. Santiago struggles to speak Spanish and so he's sent to spend time with his grandmother in hopes of becoming more fluent. However, he's criticized for having a "gringo" accent and it only leads to him feeling more insecure. This is one that I think a lot of kids will enjoy not only because of the current demand for new graphic novels, but also because it speaks to a lot of kids who know what it's like to be caught between two cultures. I'm excited to read more in the series. If you haven't checked this out, I highly recommend it.
Read
July 28, 2024I got to read this one early and I LOVED IT! Can't wait for everyone to meet Santiago and his friends <3.
November 4, 2025
MUST READ BOOKS in every genre:
Thriller Say Goodbye
Memoir The Yellow House
SciFi Murder by Memory
Romance Time Loops & Meet Cutes
A great story about a young man unsure of his Spanish language skills when he spends a summer break with his Abuela. He learns to speak better and makes a great group of friends. Also, there is food! I love seeing and reading about a family's food culture.
#underrated #foodandfamily #latinxreads
Thriller Say Goodbye
Memoir The Yellow House
SciFi Murder by Memory
Romance Time Loops & Meet Cutes
A great story about a young man unsure of his Spanish language skills when he spends a summer break with his Abuela. He learns to speak better and makes a great group of friends. Also, there is food! I love seeing and reading about a family's food culture.
#underrated #foodandfamily #latinxreads
May 12, 2025
I really enjoyed the narrative of how you can feel behind learning a language, especially one from your culture and that the majority of your family speaks.
Santi's insecurity and nervousness with Spanish (or more so his "gringo" accent) will be so relatable to those learning a second language or feeling left out on something people think they should know.
I also LOVE that the story didn't gaslight Santi. The narrative understands his feelings and acknowledges when he was wrong as well.
3.5
Santi's insecurity and nervousness with Spanish (or more so his "gringo" accent) will be so relatable to those learning a second language or feeling left out on something people think they should know.
I also LOVE that the story didn't gaslight Santi. The narrative understands his feelings and acknowledges when he was wrong as well.
3.5
March 3, 2025
Short, easy to read, and right to the point. All characters make mistakes, making it more realistic, and all know how to do the right thing and apologize at the right moment. Santiago is visiting his Colombian for the Summer and only Spanish is allowed (so he can improve his skills).
It can't be easy to feel frustrated for not being able to communicate; more than that, the lack of communication is not just a language barrier; it's also being aware of the limits. What can be a joke for some can be hurtful to others and that is not a language problem. I am glad the author covered the difference with a positive ending. It's very easy to misunderstand others (due to a lack of self-confidence even) or be misunderstood. Communication is the key.
It can't be easy to feel frustrated for not being able to communicate; more than that, the lack of communication is not just a language barrier; it's also being aware of the limits. What can be a joke for some can be hurtful to others and that is not a language problem. I am glad the author covered the difference with a positive ending. It's very easy to misunderstand others (due to a lack of self-confidence even) or be misunderstood. Communication is the key.
January 21, 2025
Speak Up, Santiago! Is the first in a new graphic novel series following a group of Latinx preteens in the upstate New York community of Hillside Valley. We follow protagonist Santiago as he travels from the city to spend the summer with the abuela, becoming more fluent in Spanish. Santi is an empathetic character that worries he will never fully be accepted due to late acquisition of the language and Americanized accent.
This is a sweet and easy to follow story that can be a great tool for language teachers and learners. Julio Anta uses both Spanish and English dialogue bubbles that can be used by both ENL learners as well as students working on learning to read Spanish. Similarly, there are pieces of text that are blacked out to show how Santi is struggling to keep up with his abuela's speaking. This offers a glimpse into the situations that language learners experience and is a great perspective to show to students that would otherwise not understand how difficult it can be for classmates that are non-native speakers.
The story is also very sweet and the characters are likable. Santi's friend group is slightly developed, but will be more so as the series continues. I think this is an endearing start to a series that has a lot of potential to resonate with middle grade readers.
This is a sweet and easy to follow story that can be a great tool for language teachers and learners. Julio Anta uses both Spanish and English dialogue bubbles that can be used by both ENL learners as well as students working on learning to read Spanish. Similarly, there are pieces of text that are blacked out to show how Santi is struggling to keep up with his abuela's speaking. This offers a glimpse into the situations that language learners experience and is a great perspective to show to students that would otherwise not understand how difficult it can be for classmates that are non-native speakers.
The story is also very sweet and the characters are likable. Santi's friend group is slightly developed, but will be more so as the series continues. I think this is an endearing start to a series that has a lot of potential to resonate with middle grade readers.
March 8, 2025
Welcome to my stop on the Speak Up, Santiago! book tour hosted by @tbrbeyondtours Pub Date: March 4, 2025
When you are trying to learn a new language, being in an immersion setting can be overwhelming & stressful. You’re worried about your accent, keeping up with the conversation and not understanding certain words. Graphic novel Speak Up, Santiago! by @julioanta & @hobbleshmobble addresses this anxiety.
Santiago is excited to spend the summer with his abuela. But he is anxious about only speaking Spanish with her since that is the only language she speaks. Santiago is biracial, with a Columbian-born father. But he also had trouble speaking when he was younger. So instead of being raised fully bilingual, his parents decided it would be easier if they focused more on English.
I loved the set up of this graphic novel. The initial conversations that Santiago has with his abuela are visually and realistically depicted. When the conversation moves too quickly for him, you see words crossed out. Or when he doesn’t know a word there are thought bubbles that show his frustration. It was a very real depiction of trying to learn more of a language and practice speaking it through immersion.
The story addresses Santiago’s experiences of being judged by his appearance and how people assume he should know Spanish. This is an issue that many first generation, American-born kids often face. People assume because of your last name and/or how you look, or who your family is that you automatically are bilingual. But the reality is there are many reasons why kids in this situation might not be bilingual. This book does a good job at illustrating this and providing space for empathy.
This is a great book for kids learning another language — whether in a class or part of an immersion experience– & for kids who grew up without the opportunity to learn their parents’ home language. It does a great job of addressing the emotional aspect of feeling overwhelmed when you feel like you can’t communicate with someone very well or you have doubts about your ability to speak well.
Check out my full review on my blog www.cocoawithbooks.com
#SpeakUpSantiago #TBRBeyondTours #JulioAnta #GabiMendez
When you are trying to learn a new language, being in an immersion setting can be overwhelming & stressful. You’re worried about your accent, keeping up with the conversation and not understanding certain words. Graphic novel Speak Up, Santiago! by @julioanta & @hobbleshmobble addresses this anxiety.
Santiago is excited to spend the summer with his abuela. But he is anxious about only speaking Spanish with her since that is the only language she speaks. Santiago is biracial, with a Columbian-born father. But he also had trouble speaking when he was younger. So instead of being raised fully bilingual, his parents decided it would be easier if they focused more on English.
I loved the set up of this graphic novel. The initial conversations that Santiago has with his abuela are visually and realistically depicted. When the conversation moves too quickly for him, you see words crossed out. Or when he doesn’t know a word there are thought bubbles that show his frustration. It was a very real depiction of trying to learn more of a language and practice speaking it through immersion.
The story addresses Santiago’s experiences of being judged by his appearance and how people assume he should know Spanish. This is an issue that many first generation, American-born kids often face. People assume because of your last name and/or how you look, or who your family is that you automatically are bilingual. But the reality is there are many reasons why kids in this situation might not be bilingual. This book does a good job at illustrating this and providing space for empathy.
This is a great book for kids learning another language — whether in a class or part of an immersion experience– & for kids who grew up without the opportunity to learn their parents’ home language. It does a great job of addressing the emotional aspect of feeling overwhelmed when you feel like you can’t communicate with someone very well or you have doubts about your ability to speak well.
Check out my full review on my blog www.cocoawithbooks.com
#SpeakUpSantiago #TBRBeyondTours #JulioAnta #GabiMendez
March 5, 2026
Heard about this one on a webinar, really glad I picked it up! I liked the way Anta and Mendez showed Santi's converstions- it let's readers not only see his progress with their eyes, the way it was drawn/presented in both Spanish and English as well as the little smudges over words when Santi doesn't understand shows you what a conversation feels like when you don't understand the language fully.
February 20, 2025
Being a child of immigrants and/or visibly cued as a person of color but not feeling comfortable with speaking the language is such a common experience that I'm really glad that this middle grade graphic novel, Speak Up, Santiago!, exists. Santiago is half Colombian, half white, and is spending the summer in Hillside Valley with his Abuela Emma, who doesn't speak much English. While he's been working on his Spanish in school, he wasn't raised bilingual, and feels self-conscious about not understanding his grandmother and people making fun of his language skills. This book was so relatable (see author and illustrator's notes!) and I thought the text scribbling out the parts Santiago didn't understand was done well (as well as not translating certain parts to show uncertainty)!
This is the first book of the Hillside Valley graphic novel series about all of the kids the Santiago befriends. While I'm not sure any of the characters got enough time on the page to compel me to read through the series, I do really like the idea of a suburban/small-town series centering Latinx kids of different backgrounds, because that's very much my experience (subbing Latinx for Asian American).
Received an ARC at ALA LLX in January 2025.
Pub date Mar 4, 2025
This is the first book of the Hillside Valley graphic novel series about all of the kids the Santiago befriends. While I'm not sure any of the characters got enough time on the page to compel me to read through the series, I do really like the idea of a suburban/small-town series centering Latinx kids of different backgrounds, because that's very much my experience (subbing Latinx for Asian American).
Received an ARC at ALA LLX in January 2025.
Pub date Mar 4, 2025
May 2, 2025
Speak Up, Santiago!
Overall Rating: ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ (3/5) or 5.57/10 overall
Characters - 5
Atmosphere - 7
Writing - 6
Plot - 5
Intrigue - 6
Logic - 5
Enjoyment - 5
Overall Rating: ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ (3/5) or 5.57/10 overall
Characters - 5
Atmosphere - 7
Writing - 6
Plot - 5
Intrigue - 6
Logic - 5
Enjoyment - 5
December 24, 2025
As a third culture kid and first gen Japanese American, I really appreciated this little book. In a way, it reminded me a bit of Himawari House. The artwork here was so cozy and bright and the matte pages! The matte pages!! Really think more graphic novels should have matte pages over glossy ones.
October 2, 2024
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus
Santiago lives with his mother (who is white) and his father (who is of Colombian descent) in New York City. His Spanish language skills aren't great, so he is spending a month with his abuela in the small community of Hillside Valley in the Hudson Valley. She lives in a charming cottage in the woods, but isn't far from the town center. Santiago is very worried that the two won't be able to communicate, but is glad to eat his grandmother's delicious cooking. He makes friends with local residents, Sol, Willie, Alejandro, and Nico, who have a secret soccer field in a clearing in the woods where they invite Santiago to play. They also take him on a tour of the charming town. Santiago is getting along with his grandmother until they attend a birthday party for one of her friends, and ovehears the ladies disparaging his speaking abilities and accent. His grandmother even laughs a bit over his accent. Since Santiago struggled with learning to speak, he takes this to heart, and it causes a lot of tension. He does compete in the soccer tournament with his new friends, and eventually talks to them about his struggles and feelings of insecurity. Bouyed by their support, he is able to talk to his grandmother about his feelings, and realizes that his Spanish skills are better than he suspects when he has to care for his grandmother after an injury. This is the first book in a Hillside Valley series.
Strengths: Visiting a grandparent for the summer offers a gret way for middle grade children to experience a different location and culture without having to move, which, as we know, is an experience often fraught with ghosts. It's good to see Santiago connect with his grandmother, and also to see him explore the town with new friends. Existing in a family with more than one language is a challenge I haven't had to deal with, so it's good to see Anta bring his personal experiences to the story. Involving soccer in a book is always a good call.
Weaknesses: Hillside Valley is a delightful location, but Santiago's internal struggles were rather protracted. This focus on personal troubles is definitely on trend for graphic novels, but I'd love to see some happier ones!
What I really think: This is a good choice for readers who enjoyed Cartaya's Marcus Vega Doesn't Speak Spanish or Granillo's Cruzita and the Mariacheros.
Santiago lives with his mother (who is white) and his father (who is of Colombian descent) in New York City. His Spanish language skills aren't great, so he is spending a month with his abuela in the small community of Hillside Valley in the Hudson Valley. She lives in a charming cottage in the woods, but isn't far from the town center. Santiago is very worried that the two won't be able to communicate, but is glad to eat his grandmother's delicious cooking. He makes friends with local residents, Sol, Willie, Alejandro, and Nico, who have a secret soccer field in a clearing in the woods where they invite Santiago to play. They also take him on a tour of the charming town. Santiago is getting along with his grandmother until they attend a birthday party for one of her friends, and ovehears the ladies disparaging his speaking abilities and accent. His grandmother even laughs a bit over his accent. Since Santiago struggled with learning to speak, he takes this to heart, and it causes a lot of tension. He does compete in the soccer tournament with his new friends, and eventually talks to them about his struggles and feelings of insecurity. Bouyed by their support, he is able to talk to his grandmother about his feelings, and realizes that his Spanish skills are better than he suspects when he has to care for his grandmother after an injury. This is the first book in a Hillside Valley series.
Strengths: Visiting a grandparent for the summer offers a gret way for middle grade children to experience a different location and culture without having to move, which, as we know, is an experience often fraught with ghosts. It's good to see Santiago connect with his grandmother, and also to see him explore the town with new friends. Existing in a family with more than one language is a challenge I haven't had to deal with, so it's good to see Anta bring his personal experiences to the story. Involving soccer in a book is always a good call.
Weaknesses: Hillside Valley is a delightful location, but Santiago's internal struggles were rather protracted. This focus on personal troubles is definitely on trend for graphic novels, but I'd love to see some happier ones!
What I really think: This is a good choice for readers who enjoyed Cartaya's Marcus Vega Doesn't Speak Spanish or Granillo's Cruzita and the Mariacheros.
October 20, 2025
The coloring and the realistic art are great! The main themes of the work are language is a journey, the important thing is not giving up, and that it’s never too late to learn a new language or learn about your culture.
Santi (~12 years old, Colombian American boy from NYC) heads to Hillside Valley for the summer to visit Abuela Emma and practice his Spanish. He is anxious about his Spanish skills and worries that people will not understand him and he will not understand others. He makes friends with 4 neighborhood kids who show him around the town and let him join their soccer team, preparing for the upcoming summer tournament. But Santi begins pushing everyone away when multiple people make fun of his Spanish and his accent. After his grandma sustains an injury, Santi resolves his conflicts with his grandma and friends and he ends up playing in the soccer tournament. It’s a happy ending.
There are numerous speech bubbles in Spanish (most translated in English in a connected bubble), which I really enjoyed! Teaches readers a bit about Colombian food and culture. Also educates people regarding Latinx culture and the various regions Latinx people can hail from. Appreciated the author and artist’s notes - they each have a short illustration with a few speech bubbles explaining their connections to the story.
No cursing. Like the emphasis that culture can be what you make of it (there are many ways to explore culture) and that learning a language takes time/work and to not beat yourself up about it, but continue to grow and learn! Realistic and very relatable to kids with anxiety and sensitivity about culture/being mixed/not fitting in or speaking the language. Nice middle-grade debut work.
Santi (~12 years old, Colombian American boy from NYC) heads to Hillside Valley for the summer to visit Abuela Emma and practice his Spanish. He is anxious about his Spanish skills and worries that people will not understand him and he will not understand others. He makes friends with 4 neighborhood kids who show him around the town and let him join their soccer team, preparing for the upcoming summer tournament. But Santi begins pushing everyone away when multiple people make fun of his Spanish and his accent. After his grandma sustains an injury, Santi resolves his conflicts with his grandma and friends and he ends up playing in the soccer tournament. It’s a happy ending.
There are numerous speech bubbles in Spanish (most translated in English in a connected bubble), which I really enjoyed! Teaches readers a bit about Colombian food and culture. Also educates people regarding Latinx culture and the various regions Latinx people can hail from. Appreciated the author and artist’s notes - they each have a short illustration with a few speech bubbles explaining their connections to the story.
No cursing. Like the emphasis that culture can be what you make of it (there are many ways to explore culture) and that learning a language takes time/work and to not beat yourself up about it, but continue to grow and learn! Realistic and very relatable to kids with anxiety and sensitivity about culture/being mixed/not fitting in or speaking the language. Nice middle-grade debut work.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 13, 2025
𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐃 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐈𝐅 𝐘𝐎𝐔
📖 love graphic novels
💭 speak more than one language
🤭 don’t like when people laugh at you
⚽️ like to play soccer
• 𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐈𝐓’𝐒 𝐀𝐁𝐎𝐔𝐓
Santi is excited to spend the summer in Hillside Valley, meeting the local kids, eating his Abuela's delicious food, exploring! There's just one problem—Santi doesn't speak Spanish that well and it feels like everyone he meets in Hillside does. There's Sol (she's a soccer player who really loves books), Willie, (the artist), Alejandro (Santi's unofficial tour guide!), and Nico (Alejandro's brother and blue belt in karate). In between all of their adventures in Hillside, Santi can't help but worry about his Spanish-what if he can't keep up?! Does that mean he's not Colombian enough? Will Santi find his confidence and his voice? Or will his worries cost him his new friendships...and the chance to play in HIlliside's summer soccer tournament?!
• 𝐌𝐘 𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐆𝐇𝐓𝐒
I always love a good graphic novel, and not only does this one teach a great lesson, it also has fantastic illustrations. I really enjoyed the way this story was written - I don’t speak or know any Spanish, but I really appreciated the way it was placed in the story for context. Anyone who is bilingual would enjoy the sections I unfortunately had to miss, but it really helped show, in a visual manner, how learning a new language is so difficult, even for people who have been around it their entire lives. I have a friend who knows Spanish but I don’t know if she is 100% fluent in it. I can’t wait to see what happens next for this new group of friends!
📖 love graphic novels
💭 speak more than one language
🤭 don’t like when people laugh at you
⚽️ like to play soccer
• 𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐈𝐓’𝐒 𝐀𝐁𝐎𝐔𝐓
Santi is excited to spend the summer in Hillside Valley, meeting the local kids, eating his Abuela's delicious food, exploring! There's just one problem—Santi doesn't speak Spanish that well and it feels like everyone he meets in Hillside does. There's Sol (she's a soccer player who really loves books), Willie, (the artist), Alejandro (Santi's unofficial tour guide!), and Nico (Alejandro's brother and blue belt in karate). In between all of their adventures in Hillside, Santi can't help but worry about his Spanish-what if he can't keep up?! Does that mean he's not Colombian enough? Will Santi find his confidence and his voice? Or will his worries cost him his new friendships...and the chance to play in HIlliside's summer soccer tournament?!
• 𝐌𝐘 𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐆𝐇𝐓𝐒
I always love a good graphic novel, and not only does this one teach a great lesson, it also has fantastic illustrations. I really enjoyed the way this story was written - I don’t speak or know any Spanish, but I really appreciated the way it was placed in the story for context. Anyone who is bilingual would enjoy the sections I unfortunately had to miss, but it really helped show, in a visual manner, how learning a new language is so difficult, even for people who have been around it their entire lives. I have a friend who knows Spanish but I don’t know if she is 100% fluent in it. I can’t wait to see what happens next for this new group of friends!
March 24, 2025
With a realistic, relatable plot about cultural identity and characters who don't always make the right choices, this middle-grade graphic novel will be a hit with its intended audience, many of whom will see themselves in its protagonist, Santiago. New Yorker Santi is spending the summer in Hillside Valley with his grandmother, who is originally from Columbia but lived in NYC when his father was born. Since his father is Columbian and speaks Spanish fluently and his mother is European, Santi plans to immerse himself in Spanish in order to improve the language skills he has acquired in Spanish class, and in order to get to know his abuela better. He's understandably anxious about the whole experience, but when he's befriended by fellow soccer players, he begins to feel that he might be okay. That is until he messes everything up after overhearing his grandmother's friends and abuela making fun of his accent and Spanish. This graphic novel certainly adds to the existing literature about this very topic--being judged harshly for not knowing a language that is part of one's culture. Even the book's title has significance. The important themes in the book are supported beautifully by the colorful, intense artwork in each panel. The illustrator and colorist take great pains to portray the characters with different types of hair and different skin tones and personalities. It should be interesting to follow the characters in future books.
April 22, 2025
Santiago, or “Santi”, is a biracial Colombian American boy from New York City who spends the summer with his Abuela Emma in a town outside the city known as Hillside Valley, among a vibrant community of Latin American people. Santi is biracial; his mom is white, and his dad is Colombian, but he did not speak Spanish growing up. After taking Spanish in school and trying to learn more, he is going to spend the summer practicing. In Hillside Valley, Santi is eager to learn the language, connect with his grandmother, make new friends, and join the town’s Secret Soccer Club. When one evening at a party, Santi overhears his abuela and her friends gossiping about his Spanish, all of the relationships he built in Hillside Valley crumble, and his language journey gets bumpy.
This is a window into a story that many vulnerable second-generation kids may experience, or appeal to anyone on a language learning journey. Written and illustrated by two creators who have personal connections to the story, the palette is warm and colorful, showing the vibrancy of the town Santi spends his summer as a welcoming, inclusive place where he can learn to be himself. This is the first in the Hillside Valley series, so look out for the forthcoming books about other community members. Link to complete review: https://ysbookreviews.wordpress.com/2...
This is a window into a story that many vulnerable second-generation kids may experience, or appeal to anyone on a language learning journey. Written and illustrated by two creators who have personal connections to the story, the palette is warm and colorful, showing the vibrancy of the town Santi spends his summer as a welcoming, inclusive place where he can learn to be himself. This is the first in the Hillside Valley series, so look out for the forthcoming books about other community members. Link to complete review: https://ysbookreviews.wordpress.com/2...
February 17, 2025
Thank you Random House Kids for the gifted copy of 'Speak Up, Santiago'! by Julio Anta. This is a very heartwarming story about Santiago, a boy who stays with his grandmother at Hillside Valley for the summer to become more confident in speaking Spanish. Santiago is Columbian, Irish, and French, and has some knowledge of Spanish from his father; however, his fluency needs improvement, which makes him feel very uneasy. Readers who also share this struggle can certainly empathize with the reactions Santiago feels with each conversation he attempts to start and understand. Being of Puerto Rican descent, I wish I had this graphic novel as a young reader, as I also struggled with my Spanish fluency growing up.
Speak Up Santiago shares the process of Santiago on the journey to understand Spanish, and we accompany him through his struggles and triumphs. He also meets a fun group of peers, and I sense this is the start of a series where we may see the perspective of everyone in this Hillside Valley group. Gabi Mendez provides such rich illustrations of Santiago and his friends/family throughout the pages.
If you have children (middle school aged or slightly older) who loves reading about children going through language journeys while coming into their own, this book is for them. I can also see this a book one can share about in classroom settings.
Speak Up Santiago shares the process of Santiago on the journey to understand Spanish, and we accompany him through his struggles and triumphs. He also meets a fun group of peers, and I sense this is the start of a series where we may see the perspective of everyone in this Hillside Valley group. Gabi Mendez provides such rich illustrations of Santiago and his friends/family throughout the pages.
If you have children (middle school aged or slightly older) who loves reading about children going through language journeys while coming into their own, this book is for them. I can also see this a book one can share about in classroom settings.
March 21, 2025
In SPEAK UP, SANTIAGO! Santi is looking forward to spending the summer with his abuela. There’s just one problem—she mostly speaks Spanish and Santi is not confident about speaking Spanish. When he arrives at his abuela’s, he’s excited to meet and become friends with the neighborhood kids, joining them on their secret soccer team. As summer progresses, his Spanish skills improve and he’s gaining confidence, but then Santi overhears his abuela’s friends making fun of his Spanish. This puts a strain on his relationship with his abuela and his newfound friends and may impact his spot on the soccer team before a big tournament.
Santi’s story will resonate with multilingual readers who are in similar situations. His emotions and his reactions feel authentic and help readers to empathize with Santi’s experiences. The graphic novel format is used strategically and effectively to show Santi’s challenges with understanding Spanish. The intergenerational relationship portrayed here between Santi and his abuela is warm and multilayered. Readers will see Santi grow in many ways throughout the book and I think many will look forward to seeing him and his friends again in future books in this series.
Santi’s story will resonate with multilingual readers who are in similar situations. His emotions and his reactions feel authentic and help readers to empathize with Santi’s experiences. The graphic novel format is used strategically and effectively to show Santi’s challenges with understanding Spanish. The intergenerational relationship portrayed here between Santi and his abuela is warm and multilayered. Readers will see Santi grow in many ways throughout the book and I think many will look forward to seeing him and his friends again in future books in this series.
November 23, 2024
Graphic Novel
I received an electronic ARC from Random House Children's through NetGalley.
Santi is nervous about spending a month with his Abuela. He is going to spend time with her and to work on his Spanish. His father's family is from Columbia and he wants to become more fluent in this second language. Readers see him struggle and improve. I appreciate that Anta showed the problems by blacking out the language he couldn't understand. This allows readers the same experience. We see how much more he comprehends and speaks as he finds friends, joins their soccer team, and engages with his Abuela. The relationships are not smooth. Santi is deeply hurt when he overhears Abuela and her friends laughing at his Spanish; he also feels hurt when his new friend and teammate mocks him for not knowing a Columbian slang term. He withdraws and has to face the consequences of his actions including his Abuela getting hurt. We see him mature and figure out who he wants to be. By the end, he realizes how far he has come and what matters.
This is the first of a series and I look forward to the next book.
Told in English and Spanish.
I received an electronic ARC from Random House Children's through NetGalley.
Santi is nervous about spending a month with his Abuela. He is going to spend time with her and to work on his Spanish. His father's family is from Columbia and he wants to become more fluent in this second language. Readers see him struggle and improve. I appreciate that Anta showed the problems by blacking out the language he couldn't understand. This allows readers the same experience. We see how much more he comprehends and speaks as he finds friends, joins their soccer team, and engages with his Abuela. The relationships are not smooth. Santi is deeply hurt when he overhears Abuela and her friends laughing at his Spanish; he also feels hurt when his new friend and teammate mocks him for not knowing a Columbian slang term. He withdraws and has to face the consequences of his actions including his Abuela getting hurt. We see him mature and figure out who he wants to be. By the end, he realizes how far he has come and what matters.
This is the first of a series and I look forward to the next book.
Told in English and Spanish.
March 3, 2025
Santiago “Santi” is a young lad who has a Colombian immigrant father and Caucasian mother. He tries to adapt being biracial which can be confusing at times, including his lack of speaking Spanish. He spends the summer with his Abuela (grandmother) Emma who lives a rural community that is heavily Latinx populated. Santi quickly becomes friends with those close to his age and joins their secret soccer club. Soccer is Santi’s passion and he excels at it. The secret soccer club plan to enter a soccer tournament which is a dream come true.
In his Abuela Emma’s house, they speak Spanish 100% of the time so that Santi can learn. Those in the community are surprised to hear that Santi never learned Spanish at home, which embarrasses him. To further add to his discomfort, he speaks Spanish like a gringo. Abuela Emma’s lady friends gently tease Santi about his lack of accent and Santi even overhears Abuela Emma admit he may never lose his lack of accent. Santi takes this as criticism and is humiliated, his shame building up to a point where he does not speak Spanish at all. He takes his frustration out on his friends on the soccer field where harm comes to one of his secret soccer club friends.
Something needs to be done with Santi. Will the Latinx community be a help or further hinder in Santi’s progress? Or should he just go back home to his parents?
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a review copy.
In his Abuela Emma’s house, they speak Spanish 100% of the time so that Santi can learn. Those in the community are surprised to hear that Santi never learned Spanish at home, which embarrasses him. To further add to his discomfort, he speaks Spanish like a gringo. Abuela Emma’s lady friends gently tease Santi about his lack of accent and Santi even overhears Abuela Emma admit he may never lose his lack of accent. Santi takes this as criticism and is humiliated, his shame building up to a point where he does not speak Spanish at all. He takes his frustration out on his friends on the soccer field where harm comes to one of his secret soccer club friends.
Something needs to be done with Santi. Will the Latinx community be a help or further hinder in Santi’s progress? Or should he just go back home to his parents?
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a review copy.
March 7, 2025
✨ Review ✨ Speak Up Santiago by Julio Anta, illustrated by Gabi Mendez
Thanks to Random House Graphic, TBR and Beyond, and #netgalley for the gifted advanced copy/ies of this book!
Anta's first book in a new middle grades Hillside Valley graphic novel series drops us into a small town somewhere, presumably, on the East Coast.
Santi's spending the summer with his Abuela to practice his Spanish. He befriends a group of kids - Sol, Willlie, Alejandro and Nico, and joins their unofficial soccer club. As he explores the town and meets new people, he feels a wide range of emotions -- pride in the growth of his Spanish, fear that he's not Columbian enough or that his accent is too gringo, etc. etc.
Anta introduces Santi as a character that feels what many second and third generation immigrants feel in a disconnect in their language fluency, and I appreciated Anta giving that voice here. In some of the earlier pages, where Santi's dad and grandma start talking fast, words are scribbled out, showing that feeling that every language learner is so familiar with when you just can't keep up. I love how the book blends Spanish and English across the pages, making this truly a bilingual read.
Kudos to Anta, for tackling this important topic, and to Mendez for her incredible illustrations. The colors are vibrant but muted in ways to highlight the small town and its nature. I'm looking forward to the rest of the series!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Genre: middle grades graphic novel
Setting: small town
Pub Date: Mar 04 2025
Thanks to Random House Graphic, TBR and Beyond, and #netgalley for the gifted advanced copy/ies of this book!
Anta's first book in a new middle grades Hillside Valley graphic novel series drops us into a small town somewhere, presumably, on the East Coast.
Santi's spending the summer with his Abuela to practice his Spanish. He befriends a group of kids - Sol, Willlie, Alejandro and Nico, and joins their unofficial soccer club. As he explores the town and meets new people, he feels a wide range of emotions -- pride in the growth of his Spanish, fear that he's not Columbian enough or that his accent is too gringo, etc. etc.
Anta introduces Santi as a character that feels what many second and third generation immigrants feel in a disconnect in their language fluency, and I appreciated Anta giving that voice here. In some of the earlier pages, where Santi's dad and grandma start talking fast, words are scribbled out, showing that feeling that every language learner is so familiar with when you just can't keep up. I love how the book blends Spanish and English across the pages, making this truly a bilingual read.
Kudos to Anta, for tackling this important topic, and to Mendez for her incredible illustrations. The colors are vibrant but muted in ways to highlight the small town and its nature. I'm looking forward to the rest of the series!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Genre: middle grades graphic novel
Setting: small town
Pub Date: Mar 04 2025
April 21, 2025
This book was so cute! I think it will help a lot of kids who maybe don’t feel like they fit into their family for one reason or another. I loved the drawings and the characters. Hillside Valley sounds like a great place to be!
Santiago is Colombian American, but he doesn’t speak much Spanish. He didn’t get to learn until he was older and he has some trouble with it, so he is going to see his grandma during the summer and practice his Spanish. He is really nervous, but soon he meets some new friends who help him get acquainted with the place. Soon he is speaking better Spanish as well. But what if he’s not really that good at Spanish? Will that make him less loved by everyone in his family? Will he always be bad at the language? This book is about confidence, family and culture. Feeling good about being yourself and having family and friends who accept you no matter what is a great thing. I loved the story and can’t wait for the next one in 2026!
Mia’s 2nd Year of Books: Days 40-42
Santiago is Colombian American, but he doesn’t speak much Spanish. He didn’t get to learn until he was older and he has some trouble with it, so he is going to see his grandma during the summer and practice his Spanish. He is really nervous, but soon he meets some new friends who help him get acquainted with the place. Soon he is speaking better Spanish as well. But what if he’s not really that good at Spanish? Will that make him less loved by everyone in his family? Will he always be bad at the language? This book is about confidence, family and culture. Feeling good about being yourself and having family and friends who accept you no matter what is a great thing. I loved the story and can’t wait for the next one in 2026!
Mia’s 2nd Year of Books: Days 40-42
August 13, 2024
Book 1 in the Hillside Valley MG graphic novel series by @julioanta @hobbleshmobble
🗣️
Santi is both anxious and excited to spend the summer with his abuela in Hillside Valley. He grew up not speaking Spanish and now that he can take a foreign language he’s been working hard, but isn’t fluent yet. His abuela expects Santi to speak Spanish as much as he can this summer, despite the fact that he doesn’t feel confident in the language like all his new friends. When a soccer tournament snags Santi’s attention, it’s not enough for him to stop worrying throughout the summer about being Colombian enough.
⚽️
This was such a sweet graphic novel about a boy who doesn’t feel like he’s enough. So many students will be able to relate to this in my Texas school library. I loved the integrated Spanish throughout.i loved the artwork too and students who enjoyed Miss Quinces and Chunky will love this one too. It releases March 4!
CW: mild anxiety
🗣️
Santi is both anxious and excited to spend the summer with his abuela in Hillside Valley. He grew up not speaking Spanish and now that he can take a foreign language he’s been working hard, but isn’t fluent yet. His abuela expects Santi to speak Spanish as much as he can this summer, despite the fact that he doesn’t feel confident in the language like all his new friends. When a soccer tournament snags Santi’s attention, it’s not enough for him to stop worrying throughout the summer about being Colombian enough.
⚽️
This was such a sweet graphic novel about a boy who doesn’t feel like he’s enough. So many students will be able to relate to this in my Texas school library. I loved the integrated Spanish throughout.i loved the artwork too and students who enjoyed Miss Quinces and Chunky will love this one too. It releases March 4!
CW: mild anxiety
April 11, 2025
While this was initially a slow start for me, the closer I got to the end of Speak Up, Santiago!, the more I really started to appreciate what Julio Anta was doing in this book. Initially I felt that the story felt a little too shallow--a little too "tell" rather than "show". And while the dialogue and plot did remain fairly simplistic, I enjoyed the way Anta successfully portrayed what it feels like to be in a community where everyone is speaking a language in which you are proficient but not fluent. I felt that the integration of Spanish dialogue was done really thoughtfully, particularly for readers who are not Spanish speakers (or only mildly proficient in the language). By the end of the graphic novel, I also found myself looking forward to future installments of the series as I want to know what happens to the other characters in the friend group.
Thank you to Random House Children's and NetGalley for my advanced reader copy.
Thank you to Random House Children's and NetGalley for my advanced reader copy.
December 10, 2025
Santiago is traveling to spend the summer with his abuela to practice his Spanish. When he was younger, he had speech difficulties, so rather than be raise bilingual, he learned mostly English. Now he feels uncertain, but maybe ready to practice what he has learned in Spanish class in school to speak with his grandmother who moved from Colombia and settled in New York. At first, Santi is happy that he is picking up Spanish rapidly, but when he overhears his grandmother's friends criticize his language skills and accent, not once, but twice, and withdraws into himself, even from his new friends that he has been playing soccer with. An extraordinary series of events brings Santi to understand that he is loved for himself, not his Spanish ability, and that he has, in fact, improved his language ability over the summer. Santi finds that questioning self is a part of growing up and decides in the end that he can just be himself. Santi's story feels authentic and very relatable.
January 6, 2026
Santi stays with his Colombian abuela for a few weeks, and everyone (including him) is hoping his Spanish will improve, but he's really worried about that. He meets other kids and they invite him to join their soccer team, but they and his abuela's friends all seem more comfortable--the older ladies even make fun of him--which he *does* understand. His hurt feelings lead him to shut down in general, stop talking to his Abuela, and become more aggressive in soccer.
Much of the dialog is in Spanish with an English translation. Otherwise the reader is expected to use the context. In the earlier parts, some of the diolog is redacted, when Santi doesn't understand it. Could be great for Spanish students.
Captured the sense that lots of kids have of not being XXX enough, whatever their heritage is. Also, Santo spoke late, which was shy his dad let up on speaking Spanish to him as a toddler. (His mom is a gringa.)
Much of the dialog is in Spanish with an English translation. Otherwise the reader is expected to use the context. In the earlier parts, some of the diolog is redacted, when Santi doesn't understand it. Could be great for Spanish students.
Captured the sense that lots of kids have of not being XXX enough, whatever their heritage is. Also, Santo spoke late, which was shy his dad let up on speaking Spanish to him as a toddler. (His mom is a gringa.)
March 2, 2025
Santiago is going to live with his Abuela (grandma) for the summer to be more confident with speaking Spanish, to spend time with his Abuela, and to eat her amazing food.
Santiago is Colombian-American, but doesn’t quite fit in as he’s not Spanish enough and he’s not American enough. He’s somewhere in-between. Will living with Abuela help Santiago find his identity?
The goal for the summer is to be fluent in Spanish. Will Santiago be able to accomplish that goal? Will he fit in with his Abuela’s friends’ grandkids?
This graphic novel was so very well written. I love that there was Spanish and English whenever Santiago was speaking or listening to his Abuela. This is a great read for those who are trying to find out where they fit in. This is also a great book for those who want to learn Spanish or English as there are both languages and its translations for a majority part of the book! For me, I can listen and understand basic Spanish, so it was nice to be able to read Spanish and then test myself to see if I understood what I read by reading the English translation. I highly recommend this book even if you don’t know Spanish. It’s a wonderful read to understand what children are going through when they don’t feel like they fit in.
Santiago is Colombian-American, but doesn’t quite fit in as he’s not Spanish enough and he’s not American enough. He’s somewhere in-between. Will living with Abuela help Santiago find his identity?
The goal for the summer is to be fluent in Spanish. Will Santiago be able to accomplish that goal? Will he fit in with his Abuela’s friends’ grandkids?
This graphic novel was so very well written. I love that there was Spanish and English whenever Santiago was speaking or listening to his Abuela. This is a great read for those who are trying to find out where they fit in. This is also a great book for those who want to learn Spanish or English as there are both languages and its translations for a majority part of the book! For me, I can listen and understand basic Spanish, so it was nice to be able to read Spanish and then test myself to see if I understood what I read by reading the English translation. I highly recommend this book even if you don’t know Spanish. It’s a wonderful read to understand what children are going through when they don’t feel like they fit in.
October 24, 2024
This novel is such a perfect addition to any middle school library. Speak Up, Santiago! is the perfect example of how to utilize graphic novels to further your storytelling. Julio Anta manages to provide readers a real way to empathize and feel what Santi experiences as he is working on improving his Spanish. Even if you have never experienced that exact situation before in your life you can empathize and truly see the impact it can have on a person's life. As someone who experiences this myself and is teased for my "gringa" accent this book felt especially impactful to me. I cannot wait to purchase for our library!
Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read this advance copy and give my honest review!
Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read this advance copy and give my honest review!
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