The Pecan Sheller
In 1930s San Antonio, thirteen-year-old Petra dreams of going to college and becoming a writer.
But with her beloved father dead, two younger siblings to care for, and with a stepmother struggling to make ends meet, Petra has to drop out of school to shell pecans at a factory. Hoping it’s only temporary, she tries not to despair over the grueling work conditions. But after the unhealthy environment leads to tragedy and workers’ already low wages are cut, Petra knows things need to change. She and her coworkers go on strike for higher wages and safer conditions, risking everything they have for the hope of a better future.
“Heart-warming and enraging in equal parts, this important American story reveals the power of family, community, and hope.”—Laurie Halse Anderson, New York Times-bestselling author
| Format | Your Price | Add |
|---|---|---|
|
979-8-7656-1052-7
On pre-order until 04/01/2025
|
$14.24 | |
|
979-8-7656-5109-4
On pre-order until 04/01/2025
|
$23.99 |
| Interest Level | Grade 5 - Grade 8 |
|---|---|
| Reading Level | Grade 5 |
| Category | Diverse Books: #OwnVoices, Diverse Books: Race & Ethnicity, Diverse Books: Social Class, Diverse Books: Social Justice, Diversity, SEL: A Self-Awareness, SEL: B Self-Management, SEL: D Relationship Skills, SEL: E Responsible Decision-Making, Social Emotional Learning |
| Copyright | 2025 |
| Publisher | Lerner Publishing Group |
| Imprint | Carolrhoda Books ® |
| Language | English |
| Number of Pages | 256 |
| Publication Date | 2025-04-01 |
Author: Lupe Ruiz-Flores
Lupe Ruiz-Flores is the author of six bilingual picture books. She is a former Regional Advisor for the Southwest Chapter of the Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators (SCBWI) and until recently its newsletter editor. Lupe has won the SCBWI Work-In-Progress Grant, the SCBWI/Amazon Work-in-Progress Grant, and the SCBWI Martha Weston Award. She is a member of the Writers League of Texas, Texas Library Association, Las Musas, and Kindling Words. She was awarded the Tejas Star Book Award for three consecutive years. Her poetry and short stories have been published in anthologies, including Thanku: Poems of Gratitude. She was recently inducted into the Texas Institute of Letters.
Reviews
Crystal Allen
“Lupe Ruiz-Flores cracks open a time capsule revealing a daunting period in San Antonio’s history and delicate layers of her main character—a young girl who stands to lose everything as she ignites a monumental protest for change.”—Crystal Allen, author of Between Two Brothers
Diana López
“Ruiz-Flores brings 1930s San Antonio and Petra’s coming-of-age journey to life. What results is a story about resourcefulness, resilience, and love.”—Diana López, author of Los Monstruos: Rooster and the Dancing Diablo
Laurie Halse Anderson
“Heart-warming and enraging in equal parts, this important American story reveals the power of family, community, and hope.”—Laurie Halse Anderson