You’re a Winner, Gracie Wei (Gracie Wei #1)

Gracie Wei desperately wants to win the Grapevine Elementary Fourth-Grade Class Spelling Bee so she’ll finally have a certificate to display on her family’s Special Wall of achievements. But she’ll have to beat know-it-all Elena, who “always has an answer for everything.” As the girls wait for their turn to spell, Elena runs off the stage. When Gracie Wei gives chase and finds Elena in tears caused by fear that she’ll “mess up” her own chance to win, Gracie Wei shares her father’s wisdom: “But what if you don’t?” Despite the pride she feels in having managed to calm her rival, Gracie Wei is crushed to learn that, upon her return to the stage, the round is over, and she’s missed her opportunity to obtain the coveted certificate. Gracie Wei’s single-minded pursuit to please her family and the pressure she puts on herself will resonate with young readers, as will the affirming depictions of the lasting effects of loving support—both Gracie Wei’s on Elena and the protagonist’s family’s on herself. Softly shaded illustrations by Tran (Gwei the Hungry Ghost) portray characters with varying abilities and skin tones. Gracie Wei is described as being mixed-race. Publishing simultaneously: You’re the Boss, Gracie Wei. Ages 7–10. Author’s agent: Annie Bomke, Annie Bomke Literary. Illustrator’s agent: Chad. W. Beckerman, CAT Agency. (Mar.)