From Hispanic author Hailey Alcaraz, this historical tale of arson, sleuthing, and finding friendship in unlikely places is based on the real Hotel Adams fire of 1910. It’s up to two Latina girls to turn their knack for being overlooked and underestimated into their greatest strength as they unravel a complex web of suspects, clues, and motives.
Ruth and Luisa live very different lives within the dusty desert town of Phoenix. Ruth is the only child of a political official. She spends her days stuffed into scratchy dresses and smiling prettily in the ballrooms of the Hotel Adams. Luisa is a young housekeeper. She looks at the Persian rug and thinks, I also know what it feels like to be walked over, barely noticed, and covered in other people’s dirt. The girls stumble into a partnership when they overhear a plan to set fire to the hotel, a political hot spot for the growing western town. As they race to figure out who is behind the plot–and how to stop them–they must not only overcome what other people expect from them but what they’ve grown to expect from themselves.
Part of the Own Voices historical series American Stories for Gutsy Girls Five Days at the Hotel Adams … Transports children into the past with a compelling story full of secrets, subterfuge, and sisterhood; Encourages tweens to look for friends in unexpected places; Is perfect for fans of Pam Muñoz Ryan and Erin Entrada Kelly; and Includes black-and-white illustrations.
Enjoy this fast-paced adventure story in which two girls race against the clock to stop a crime as they learn that good always comes from trying your best–even if the outcome is the last thing you expected.