Mari in the Margins

Middle child of nine

lost in a sea of offspring

I am Marivel

For Marivel Jiménez, life in her big family is full of chaos. Feeling overlooked by her parents and overshadowed by her siblings is frustrating, and it's even worse to have the constant attention of her annoying, mischievous three-year-old sister, Susana. 

Caught between her need to be noticed and her dream of having time to herself, Marivel pours herself into poetry and, eventually, art journaling. When she hears of a school-wide poetry contest, she sees winning as a chance to escape the margins of her family and finally be seen.

Rebecca J. Gomez

Rebecca J. Gomez has been writing and drawing for as long as she can remember, and when she's not creating books, she's often reading them. Other things she enjoys doing are baking, hiking, and spending time with her growing, occasionally chaotic, family. She lives in Nebraska.

photo credit: Joel Burkum