Donate a book to Itliong-Vera Cruz Middle School!

Hi!

I’m Tracy, a Filipino American author of books for children and young adults, and I’d love your help in my getting my middle grade novel, Freddie vs. The Family Curse, to the 345 sixth graders of Itliong-Vera Cruz Middle School (IVCMS) in Union City, California.

 

About Itliong-Vera Cruz Middle School

Itliong-Vera Cruz Middle School, the first US school to be named after Filipino Americans (California labor leaders Larry Itliong and Philip Vera Cruz), counts a high number of Filipino American students in their student body and is over 90% minority enrollment. We know how important it is for children to see themselves represented in books. With your help, we can get a free copy of what Kirkus Reviews called “a spirited fantasy enriched with Filipino culture and history” to these sixth graders who may want to see a familiar-looking face on the book cover or, at the very least, be looking for a fun summer read that includes breakdancing, tense trading card battles, and one-too-many embarrassing incidents involving underwear (Freddie is cursed, after all).

 

About Freddie vs. The Family Curse

Freddie vs. The Family Curse is about a Filipino American boy who must team up with the ghost of his great-granduncle to break a curse that’s haunted their family for generations… or be trapped in an amulet forever. It draws heavily from the history, superstition, and folklore I grew up with in part because I didn’t often see these in the books I read growing up. In writing Freddie, I had long conversations with family members over tea and chocolate, researched their experiences during World War II, and reflected on how generations of descendants lived, thrived, and held on to our heritage here in the United States. I would so love a chance to share what took me decades to learn with young readers (and hopefully entertain them while I’m at it).

 

About the Goal

There are 345 sixth graders at IVCMS, and my fundraising goal reflects the hardcover price plus tax and fundraising platform fees for one copy per student.

Any donations over the goal will go to purchasing books for other grades or schools in the New Haven Unified School District. I’m partnering with the great folks at Kepler's Books, a local independent bookstore , to get your donated books into the hands of these young readers and make sure we’re driving business at independent bookstores.

 

I know there are so many worthwhile ways for you to positively impact the world through your time and attention, and I appreciate you thinking of IVCMS and its students. I do hope you consider donating a few books and sharing this opportunity with others you think may be interested. Thank you in advance for your generosity.