Characters
She is the protagonist.
Piedad "Piddy" Sanchez
In what CITY does the novel take place?
New York
Why do Piddy and her mom move?
The stairs collapse in their apartment building.
toga
a piece of clothing worn by people in ancient Rome
“When I look up, I’m surprised to find myself in front of the old building. My feet must have gone on autopilot.
Piddy
She is the antagonist.
Yaqui Delgado
Where do Piddy and Lila work?
Salon Corazón
What happens in the lunchroom that makes Piddy realize that Yaqui has a real problem with her?
barrio
latino neighborhood
"I hope you know that I could get in real trouble for this. Accessing student records is, like, illegal."
Darlene
She is the one adult that Piddy can talk to.
Lila Flores
Where does Piddy get assaulted?
Outside of her apartment
What troubling fact does Piedad learn about the relationship between her mother and father?
Her father already had a family when he began a relationship with her mother.
cuerpo
body
"Keep away from Alfredo."
Yaqui Delgado
The student that Piddy spends the most time with at her new school.
Darlene
In what borough does the story take place?
Queens
When do we learn that Piddy has feelings for Joey?
Te quiero.
I love you / care about you.
"They're not snooty. And what's wrong with making new friends?"
Mitzi
Darlene is mean to him, but Piddy sticks up for him.
Rob
Where are Piddy's parents from? (Two countries)
Cuba and The Dominican Republic
Why does Piddy cry when Lila is washing her hair?
She feels like a loser in comparison to Lila, and she feels alone because she can't share what's troubling her with the adult she's closest to.
ESP
extra sensory perception
"Last week, behind the dryer," he whispers. "I put them in here to feed them, but I let the mother out at night."
Joey Halper