Graffiti Girl

Graffiti Girl

Graffiti art. It's bold. It's thrilling. And it can get a girl into serious trouble.... Raised by her single mom (who's always dating the wrong kind of man) in a struggling California neighborhood, Angel Rodriguez is a headstrong, independent young woman who channels her hopes and dreams for the future into her painting. But when her entry for a community mural doesn't rate, she's heartbroken. Even with winning artist Nathan Ramos—a senior track star and Angel's secret crush—taking a sudden interest in Angel and her art, she's angry and hurt. She's determined to find her own place in the art world, her own way. That's when Miguel Badalin—from the notorious graffiti crew Reyes Del Norte— opens her eyes to an underground world of graf tags and turf wars. She's blown away by this bad boy's fantastic work and finds herself drawn to his dangerous charm. Soon she's running with Miguel's crew, pushing her skills to the limit and beginning to emerge as the artist she always dreamed she could be. But Nathan and Miguel are bitter enemies with a shared past, and choosing between them and their wildly different approaches to life and art means that Angel must decide what matters most before the artist inside of her can truly break free. "This book blew me away. Kelly Parra writes with the keen eye of an artist. Graffiti Girl is warm, gutsy, and true-to-life -- an unflinching, honest portrayal of young adults. A seamless and impressive debut." ~ Anne Frasier, Bestselling author "I finished GRAFFITI GIRL the other day and it was AWESOME! It was exciting and romantic, and Angel is a strong heroine any girl can relate to. I'm already looking forward to your next one... " ~ Allison van Diepen, author of Street Pharm Graffiti Girl Honors * Double RWA® RITA® Finalist * * California Readers High School Reading Collection * * Tomas Rivera Mexican American Children's Book Nominee * * Latino Young Adult Novel Top Pick by Latinidad® * * Selected for the National Book Foundation "BookUpNYC" program * * Recommended by the California Latino Legislative Caucus for Reading Education * Kelly Parra is the author of the acclaimed novel Graffiti Girl. She lives in a diverse agricultural town in Central California with her husband and two beautiful children. Visit her website: KellyParra.com.