Spring 2026

Choir Grrrl

  • Interest Level: Grade 5 - Grade 8
  • Reading Level: Grade 6

Thirteen-year-old Alondra was born into a musical family.

Her dad, the former frontman of a famous alt-rock band, expects her and her sisters to follow in his footsteps. The girls have formed their own band, which will open for their dad during his comeback tour.

Despite secretly liking quieter music, Alondra is committed to preparing for the tour. She’ll do whatever it takes: Change the sound of her voice. Suppress her discomfort with some fans’ behavior. Act the part of a hardcore riot grrrl.

But when a classmate invites her to join a choir club, Alondra discovers a new way of making music. Choir lets her express herself in ways that the band doesn’t.

Afraid to upset the delicate balance in her family, Alondra secretly practices with the choir between shows with her sisters’ band―until her secrets are exposed. Will she be forced to choose between her two voices, or can she bring the different parts of her life into harmony?

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979-8-7656-7135-1
On pre-order until 02/03/2026
$19.99
979-8-7656-9177-9
On pre-order until 02/03/2026
$24.99
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Interest Level Grade 5 - Grade 8
Reading Level Grade 6
Category Diverse Books: LGBTQIA+, Diversity, SEL: A Self-Awareness, SEL: D Relationship Skills, Social Emotional Learning
Copyright 2026
Publisher Lerner Publishing Group
Imprint Carolrhoda Books ®
Language English
Number of Pages 336
Publication Date 2026-02-03
Text Type Fiction
BISACS JUV039020, JUV031040, JUV013000
Dewey [Fic]
Dimensions 5.25 x 7.5
Guided Reading Level X
Features Author/Illustrator note and Reviewed

Author: Ashley Granillo

Ashley Jean Granillo is a Mexican American writer and educator hailing from the San Fernando Valley. She has her BA and MA in creative writing from California State University Northridge and holds her MFA in fiction from the University of California Riverside, Palm Desert. She is also a member of Las Musas, a collective of Latinx authors whose gender identity aligns with femininity. Her short story “Besitos” was featured in Where Monsters Lurk & Magic Hides, a Latine/x short story genre anthology. Her debut middle grade novel, Cruzita and the Mariacheros, was a 2025 Pura Belpré Children’s Author Honor Book.

Reviews

Kirkus Reviews

“Warm and funny with strong, realistic characters, Granillo’s sophomore novel explores issues including parental conflict and the representation of girls, women, and Latine people in rock. . . An emotional, well-realized story about finding your voice.”—Kirkus Reviews

Nashae Jones

“An ode to dream-chasers and anyone who’s ever tried to find their voice in a world full of noise.”—Nashae Jones, author of Courtesy of Cupid and As You Wish

Greta Morgan

“Prepare to be charmed! As a retired emo girl, I certainly was.”—Greta Morgan, author of The Lost Voice

Leah Stecher

“Author and musician Ashley Granillo deftly captures the joy—and challenges—of creating music with others. Choir Grrrl gives readers the courage to sing out, even when raising your voice challenging what the world expects of you.”—Leah Stecher, author of The Things We Miss

Eric Smith

“With more heart than your favorite Dashboard Confessional song, Ashley Jean’s Choir Grrrl is a moving, riotous novel with a message about being true to yourself that rings out like a power chord.”—Eric Smith, award-winning author of With or Without You and author of Jagged Little Pill

Ali Terese

“Ashley Granillo perfectly captures the middle grade harmony of hope, humor, and courage that comes with fighting for your own unique voice!”—Ali Terese, National Book Award nominated author of Free Period and Vote for the G.O.A.T.

Taylor Tracy

“A beautifully written and riotously celebratory ballad about the power of music, sisterhood, and finding your own voice.”—Taylor Tracy, Stonewall Honor-winning author of Murray Out of Water