Written by Samuel Teer and illustrated by Mar Julia, “Brownstone” won this year’s Michael L. Printz Award for excellence in young adult literature.

The story follows 14-year-old Almudena as she reconnects with her estranged Guatemalan father during a transformative summer. When her white mother gets the chance to tour internationally as the star of a dance show, Almudena is sent to stay with Xavier — the father she’s never met — in the city.

Their reunion is far from easy: Almudena doesn’t speak Spanish, and Xavier speaks little English. To make matters worse, he expects her to help renovate a crumbling brownstone into affordable housing for their community. As father and daughter work through the house floor by floor (Almudena quips: “Ugh. That all sounds like a metaphor, doesn’t it?”), she begins to understand Xavier’s beliefs, struggles, and the life he’s built without her.

Navigating the rapidly gentrifying neighborhood as an outsider, Almudena encounters Latine residents who challenge — intentionally or not — her sense of belonging. Yet through these interactions, she slowly pieces together a makeshift family, imperfect but deeply meaningful.

With discreet humor and heartfelt warmth, this coming-of-age tale explores heritage, identity, and acceptance, brought to life by Julia’s scrappy, vivid artwork, which perfectly captures Almudena’s inner turmoil.

Although her journey isn’t without struggles — including confronting prejudice and queerness in the Latine community — her relationship with Xavier ends on a hopeful note, and her bonds with the neighborhood’s residents shine as touching highlights.