Thank you to TBR & Beyond and Net Galley for the E-ARC.

About the Book

Genre: Middle-Grade Contemporary
Publishing date: January 24th, 2023

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Rep: Black

Synopsis:

In this lyrical novel that will appeal to fans of Meg Medina, Maya turns to her trusty “wheel of fortunes” for guidance on the toughest questions–like why her best friend suddenly feels far away, or when her Daddy will move back home. But can Maya find the courage to write her own fortune?

Maya J. Jenkins is bursting with questions:

Will she get the MVP award at this year’s soccer banquet? Who will win the big grill off between Daddy and Uncle J? When will she pass the swim test and get a green bracelet? For answers and a dose of good luck, 12-year-old Maya turns to her Wheel of Fortunes, a cardboard circle covered with the small slips of wisdom she’s collected from fortune cookies.

But can the fortunes answer her deep-down questions? The ones she’s too scared to ask out loud? Like, where did Mama’s smile go, the real one that lit up everything around her? When will Daddy move back home? And most of all, does she have enough courage to truly listen to the voice in her heart?”

Favorite Quotes

You have firm convictions- stand strong behind them

Your Talents will be recognized and rewarded 

Mama says Daddy’s a soccer snob, for calling it football like that. 

I’m not quitting. I love soccer. I love every minute!

Beauty surrounds you because you create it

You may lose the small ones but with the big ones

Each Fortune is a compass, leading me in the right direction. 

In dreams and in life, nothing is impossible 

Your luck will surface in unexpected ways 

Sometimes the thing that scares you is the best thing for you

Five Reasons to Read The Many Fortunes of Maya

Rating- Four Stars

1-Characters

The Many Fortunes of Maya had fantastic characters. Maya was spunky, and I loved her passion for soccer, and how much she also loved the flute. Maya was a character who knew what she wanted and went after it. Although she had some challenges in the story, she faces them head-on and grows as a person from them. There us also a wonderful cast of supporting characters that help Maya as she discovers things about herself, and her goals in life. 

2- Plot

The Many Fortunes of Maya had a great plot. I’m not much one for sports stories, they’re just not for me, but I really enjoyed the passion that the athletes had. Off the field, the girls also had a fantastic and caring friendship. There was also a love story about Maya’s family that I enjoyed. 

3-Writing 

Nicole D. Collier wrote a fanatic story, and I loved the writing style of the book. The Many Fortunes of Maya was a story talking about a variety of different topics, from soccer, to family, and dealing with separation. They handled these topics with care, and each scene felt new. When talking about soccer, or when Maya was on the soccer field, there was a more lighthearted tone, which I loved because it showed that Maya and her friends where having a good time. When Maya’s parents were separated, or when she was talking about her flute, it was a more heavy tone with the scene. 

4-Friendship

Maya and her friends were so sweet, and they all very much supported each other. Maya and Ginger had a fantastic friendship that I loved reading about because you could tell how much each of them helped each other, and the love they had for each other. At the pool, you could feel the friendship bond with the friends, even though Ginger and the rest of Maya’s friends were in the deep end without Maya. Themes of friendship are all over this novel, and I just loved the friend group. 

5- A Lovely Family 

MJ had a lovely family because they had a bond, even when things weren’t going well for her parents. Even though there was a separation of parents in this book, there was still a bond that her parents had. Both of her parents still loved her even though they weren’t staying in the same house for part of the book. Maya had a bond with each of her parents, one thing they each loved, that she enjoyed as well, so she could talk about it with them. The family barbeques and the music scenes with her uncle were very fun. 

About the Author

Nicole D. Collier, Ph.D., was born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia. She has spent the past two decades in education. First as a fourth grade teacher, then teacher coach, and now as a partner at Personality Matters, Inc., an executive training, coaching and consulting firm.

Nicole writes for all ages, but her first love is middle grade contemporary fiction. Young people are trying to discern who they are vs. who they want to be, and how to bridge the gap between the two. Nicole’s stories are in that gap. In particular, she writes about the interior lives of Black girls as they seek their authentic selves.

A self-proclaimed ever-victorious woman, Nicole has been known to run, dance, and turn cartwheels on sunny days.  The Georgia peach has recently relocated to Tampa Bay, Florida.

Her forthcoming novel, The Many Fortunes of Maya (HarperCollins/Versify, Jan ’23) has earned two starred reviews (Kirkus, Publishers Weekly) and is a Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection.

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