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Literature

Arte Público Press August 2016 Author Of The Month: Dr. René Saldaña Jr.

Fifth grader and amateur detective Micky Rangel is determined to solve the mystery of the quiet (maybe too quiet) new girl in school.

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Photo of Doctor René Saldaña Jr. Author of the Mickey Rangel Mystery Series for Young Readers. Arte Publico Press Author of the Month for August 2016
Arte Público Press August 2016 Author of the Month: Dr. René Saldaña Jr.

In the fourth installment of the bilingual Micky Rangel Series, A Mystery Bigger Than Big/Un Misterio Más Grande Que Grandisimo, author Dr. René Saldaña Jr. sets Mickey on a quest to determine the story behind the suspiciously quiet new girl in school.

As usual, Bucho (the school bully) challenges Mickey's reputation as an amateur detective. The new girl has been introduced to her classmates as Natalia but that is all that anyone knows about her. Why is she so quiet and withdrawn? Why is she dropped off and picked up from school every day by a strange lady in a van? Mickey is determined to find the answers and announce them to the entire school during recess on the playground.

Simultaneous with Natalia's arrival in school, Mickey happens to observe a television news story about UMCs – Unaccompanied Minor Children. The saga of children Mickey's age attempting to come to the United States without their parents is sad yet intriguing. Could there be a connection between the UMCs and the mysterious Natalia?

Houston Public Media's Eric Ladau spoke with Dr.René Saldaña Jr.

More information available at www.artepublicopress.com.