Love Sugar Magic (2018)
by Anna Meriano
Leo is suspicious. Her family is keeping secrets and she wants to know what’s going on. Eleven-year-old Leo has four older sisters who spend an awful lot of time at the family bakery. When she discovers her mama and sisters are actually brujas (witches), she’s determined to learn as much as she can about magic.
This book is a wonderful story of family, friendship, magic, and being human. Amidst magic and spirits, Meriano has created very real and relatable characters. And despite occasional disagreements and conflicts between the family members, I just find myself wanting to cozy in at the bakery and be a part of the Logrono family for the day.
After reading (a somewhat edited version of) the book to my seven-year old, she has a new interest in panaderias and learning Spanish. We read the first book of this series at the perfect time this fall, as it starts right before Dia de los Muertos. Our daughter took the initiative in setting up an ofrenda of photos and a trail of flower petals leading to our door for November 1st. In the week since we’ve read the first and second books of the series, we’ve been to two panaderias in our town that I never even knew were there. I’m so grateful for these wonderful stories, and we’re very much looking forward to the rest of the series!