Rica Baptista Series

Rica and Laini can’t imagine what’s inside the mysterious box sent from anything-but-ordinary Uncle Moose. Or can they? Lively creativity and humor shine in Rica’s latest adventure.

Rica and her best friend Laini are bubbling over with curiosity. A mystery box has appeared on Rica’s doorstep, and nobody will open it! Momma says they must wait for Uncle Moose, who mailed the box to himself. But he’s on vacation in Cape Verde and won’t be home for days. So Rica and Laini speculate about what’s inside: a fold-up car from the future, a stuffed giraffe who turns into a real giraffe, magical perma-frozen ice cream? Or even better, superpowers! Rica and Laini practice their own superpowers—like flying (zip line and jumping) and invisibility (tiptoeing and hiding)—to get ready for the big reveal, even in the face of Rica’s cousin Serenity’s disbelief. Could superpowers be real, and will Rica’s true superpower emerge when Uncle Moose finally returns? A funny story of family and possibility, enhanced by charming illustrations.

“A delightful book full of funny moments, great relationships, and ­learning ­opportunities for Rica and Laini.” —School Library Journal (starred review)

Rica Baptista is living the good life. Grampy, the best grampy of all grampies, is coming to visit, and Adventure Week, the best week of all weeks, is finally here. Rica doesn’t yet know if they will bounce on trampolines, go horseback riding, or even tour Fenway Park and watch the Red Sox play, but she knows they will have the best time ever. When Grampy hobbles into the house on crutches, however, Rica worries that this year’s Adventure Week will be adventure-less. So she pulls out all the stops with the help of her best friend, Laini (who surely has eaten enough cachupa to be at least part Cape Verdean like Rica), from organizing a family talent show to secretly planning a whole day of playing cards and eating candy. Will it be enough to keep this year’s Adventure Week from being a total flop? A sweet story of making memories during an unexpected stay-venture, sprinkled with funny and cute family moments.

“A heartfelt story full of great characters that will encourage readers to keep trying.” —School Library Journal

Rica Baptista wants—no, needs—a pet. A llama, a kinkajou, or maybe an iguana? She even has a name picked out: Frederica, her own name, after her Cape Verdean great-great-grandfather. But Rica’s parents say no right away. The worst part is that Rica can’t tell anyone the real reason she wants a pet—she secretly overheard that her best friend, Laini, is moving away, and Rica worries about being left behind. Rica and Laini make lists of the benefits of having a pet, and they try all sorts of schemes to raise money to afford one, from party planning to holding a yard sale to entering a poetry contest. But in the end, it might be an act of unselfish kindness and courage that shows that Rica is ready to take on the pet of her dreams. In a rich and amusing story that will appeal to fans of Judy Moody and Ivy and Bean, a sincere and creative protagonist navigates relationships from funny to frustrating, endearing to insightful.