How the New Girl Learned to Fit in by Standing Out
(NOW AVAILABLE!)
Everyone plays the comparison game. Kids, parents, colleagues—we all do it. But when “different” is perceived as a bad thing, when others make you feel “not good enough,” it can really hurt. It can paralyze you with fear. When Jo, the new girl, is bullied at school and about as low as she could be, The Flying Cows swoop in to help her feel better—about just being herself.
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Jo Feels More Than a Little Out of Place
She’s just arrived in a new country far from home. She dresses differently and looks odd. So, she’s teased and bullied by many of her new classmates.
Still, like all kids, she just wants to fit in.
In Jo’s adopted land, the animals speak to her. They’re funny, sweet and mischievous. Mostly, though, they give sage guidance that can help anyone feel better about feeling out of place. Her advisors are the seven flying cows introduced in the 2018 book, “Fly High!” But now, their maternal instincts have taken over to focus on helping young readers feel better—about everything.
“Jo Dares to Be Different” is an uplifting, fun-to-read story with an engaging cast of characters and a timely message for young/middle readers. Nearly 50 illustrations—full-color and sketches—fill the pages that take readers on a young girl’s quest to feel at home in her new home while maintaining her own sense of self.
MEET BARNABAS
A seriously flawed, biscuit-hoarding cat who becomes Jo’s most ardent supporter and constant companion. They’re “bestest friends,” as Jo says, even though she didn’t like him at all when they first met. Because it’s not always first impressions that matters most.
Here’s a video about how Barnabas came to life in the book. Meet the “real” Barnabas—Mio >>
Author Maria Angeles Rodriguez Vazquez knows what it’s like to be the new kid
Arriving in the U.S. from Spain at 12 years old, she was a lot like Jo. But unlike the fictional character, she spoke no English and had been living in harsh conditions in a convent where her parents had left her temporarily when they escaped poverty, during the Franco regime, to rebuild their lives in America.
Maria’s memoir is woven throughout her first book, “Fly High!” It is a personal journey of loss, helplessness, growth, self-discovery and, eventually, true happiness that seven magical cows help her rediscover. The cows are real. Or, at least, they were. They’re based on her family’s small herd which she tended as a child before her parents sold them when they moved.
Like the young protagonist in “Jo Dares to Be Different,” Maria’s turmoil and confusion was assuaged by the loving wisdom of her Flying Cows. Clearly, she can relate to this story—and to her readers.
Maria (aka Maria Rivera) has found a purpose in speaking to, and coaching, kids to help them build self-esteem and be better people to one another. She has embraced the idea of storytelling to help kids out of a problem or a moral dilemma. As a former change-management executive for a large financial company, she knows that, while change is hard, you need to first face your fears before finding a better way forward.
“Fear is natural—it’s actually a good thing! We all experience it—it’s part of our survival instinct. Fear keeps us alert, helps us prepare for worst-case scenarios. It keeps us safe…Fear is our friend.”
– Terra