Hello everyone! We are so happy and excited to announce the tour for Speak Up, Santiago! by Julio Anta & Gabi Mendez. We have limited physical copies available for US residents and digital copies (Netgalley) for anyone in the US, Canada or International.


Genre: Middle Grade
Publishing date: March 4, 2025
Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | IndieBound
Rep: Latinx/e, Colombian-American
Synopsis:
How can you speak up if you don’t have the words?
Santi is excited to spend the summer in Hillside Valley, meeting the local kids, eating his Abuela’s delicious food, exploring! There’s just one problem—Santi doesn’t speak Spanish that well and it feels like everyone he meets in Hillside does. There’s Sol (she’s a soccer player who really loves books), Willie, (the artist), Alejandro (Santi’s unofficial tour guide!), and Nico (Alejandro’s brother and blue belt in karate). In between all of their adventures in Hillside, Santi can’t help but worry about his Spanish-what if he can’t keep up?! Does that mean he’s not Colombian enough? Will Santi find his confidence and his voice? Or will his worries cost him his new friendships…and the chance to play in HIlliside’s summer soccer tournament?!


Julio Anta is the writer of many graphic novels including the Eisner Award-nominated Frontera, This Land Is Our Land: A Blue Beetle Story, Home and Sí, Se Puede: The Latino Heroes Who Changed the United States.
Julio was born and raised in Miami, Florida and currently resides in New York City.
Forthcoming work includes a slate of graphic novels for HarperAlley, Random House Graphic and First Second.
Gabi Mendez is a queer latinx comics artist and illustrator. A graduate of the School of The Art Institute of Chicago, and the Sequential Art Master’s program at SCAD, she is currently working and taking on new and exciting projects! She writes a lot of silly comics, says “dude” too much, and just wants everyone to feel included.

Want to sign up?
Note: signing up for this tour does not guarantee a spot on the tour. If you are chosen for this tour you will receive an e-mail confirmation with all the details.

