• Age: 9 to 12
• Grade: 4 to 7
• Reading age: 9 to 12

Ten-year-old Rosario Ramirez and her family are political refugees from Mexico, trying to make a new life in Canada.

After being teased at school, Rosario vows not to speak English again until she can speak with an accent that's one hundred percent Canadian. Since she and her parents plan to spend the whole summer working on BC fruit farms, she will be surrounded by Spanish speakers again. But when her family's closest friend Jose gets terribly sick, Rosario's plans start to unravel. Neither Jose nor Rosario's parents speak English well enough to get him the help he needs. Like it or not, Rosario must face her fears about letting her voice be heard.

Michelle is the author of several books for children, and she enjoys telling the stories of kids who seize life's opportunities. When growing up in Port Moody, British Columbia, her favourite spot was the library. She loved cracking open the cover of a novel, taking a deep breath, and jumping into another life.

At university, Michelle studied literature, and between courses, she helped dig a water pipeline in the Dominican Republic and flipped burgers for a summer at a McDonald's in Germany. After graduating, she cycled 6000 kilometres across Canada, became a travel writer, taught creative writing in the Arctic, and worked as a simulated patient for medical students to practice on. She also married the pen pal that she'd been writing to since she was fourteen years old, and together they traveled around his home country of Argentina.

Michelle began writing for kids because she's always loved reading children's books. These days, when she's not writing or going on adventures, she enjoys reading, swimming, baking, hiking, and pedaling her bicycle around Victoria, British Columbia, where she lives with her husband and daughter. For more information about Michelle and her books, please visit her website at www.michellemulder.com.

Michelle Mulder's profile page

• Short-listed, Chocolate Lily nominee
• Commended, CCBC Best Books
• Commended, CCBC Best Books for Kids & Teens
• Short-listed, Rocky Mountain Book Award (RMBA)
• Short-listed, Chocolate Lily Book Awards
• Short-listed, Rocky Mountain Book Award nominee
• Short-listed, Bolen Books Children’s Book Prize nominee
• Short-listed, Bolen Books Children’s Book Prize

"An inspirational read for any child who is learning a second language."

Canadian Children's Book Centre (CCBC) Canadian Children’s Book News

"Written in first person with clarity and understanding, this chapter book reflects the experiences and emotions of the many immigrant children who work to fit in despite sometimes feeling ill at ease in their new countries…Handsome jacket art and a sturdy paperback format make this quietly appealing narrative an attractive choice."

Booklist

"The book doesn't avoid introducing its young readers to real-life issues...Maintain[s] narrative unity and avoids sentimentality and self-righteousness in its depiction of the exploitation of immigrant workers."

Canadian Literature

"The author's portrayal of immigrant life is convincing. The reader will sympathize with Rosie, and see the courage in making and learning from mistakes…Recommended."

Library Media Connection

"An excellent, gripping premise."

St. Albert Gazette

"After Peaches has strong educative potential as a tool for introducing and discussing the experiences of New Canadians. Moreover, the novel is an interesting and engaging read that might better help children to understand the topic and its complexity than the typical type of resources that teachers might otherwise employ. Recommended."

CM: Canadian Review of Materials