Gr 4-6
Chela Gonzalez and her friend Nora are looking forward to sixth grade in their El Paso school. They have finally been placed in the A-class, the "smart class," which is for students who only speak English. Then Chela's father has a stroke on the first day of school, her grandmother comes to help out, and "the air became thick with the smell of old lady perfume, of dying flowers and alcohol.... It was the smell of bad things." Nora becomes a member of the popular group of girls who've decided to make her an outcast. Chela is asked to enroll in the Gifted and Talented group that meets after school, which helps to ease her loneliness. Her father suffers another stroke, fatal this time, and again the smell of old-lady perfume fills the little house. The book ends with the family trying to regroup after their loss. Chela is rewarded with the highest honor at the school's end-of-year awards ceremony-the All School Girl award. Through her pride, her sadness is also evident since her father was the one who always pushed her to do her best. This is a sweet coming-of-age story, telling of the cruelties of children toward one another and dealing with the loss of a parent. The story should appeal to readers dealing with their own tween years.-Diana Pierce, Leander High School, TX
"Martinez’[s] highly episodic first novel is a quiet story that is filled with such coming-of-age staples as mean girls, popularity contests, first romances, sibling rivalries, and more. However, readers will also find the book’s loving portrayal of Chela’s family, its nicely realized setting, and its artful exploration of the problems of assimilation to be both engaging and heartfelt." — Booklist
"This is a sweet coming-of-age story, telling of the cruelties of children toward one another and dealing with the loss of a parent. The story should appeal to readers dealing with their own tween years." — School Library Journal
"The balance of life on the border of Mexico and Texas is lightly sketched but sure-handed; occasional Spanish phrases and the sense of family and community come through. "— Kirkus Reviews
"Setting her story in El Paso, Claudia Guadalupe Martinez gives us the gift of a real world, filled with authentic kids and family dynamics…Martinez’s prose, always animated and descriptive, is frequently quite beautiful. She is an author to watch." — Southwest Books of the Year 2008
"The Smell of Old Lady Perfume is a touching story that will teach lessons on loss, family, loneliness, and the importance of being oneself…The novel’s easy language reads like genuine narration from a sixth grader and complements the story’s complex themes" — ForeWord Magazine
"This sensitively-written novel provides unique insights into a bicultural family." — Children's Literature
"While Spanish words are interspersed with English, there are not so many that the book is difficult to read for a non-Spanish speaking person but just enough to actualize the Hispanic culture in Chela's home life and the circumstances of a bilingual student in an English-speaking school environment." — ALAN's Picks
"The original title gives a glimpse of the poetic lines peppered throughout this poignant debut." — Latinidad's Best of 2008
"I discovered I could relate to Chela's isolation at school, as well as her worries about her family…The book flows easily; this is a story that seems to be told by a person still experiencing these things… The Smell of Old Lady Perfume is a story about growing up, about seeing things in a different light." — San Antonio Express-News
"Martínez has crafted a beautiful and heartfelt journey of a girl who 'wasn't supposed to see' so much, but who 'saw all kinds of things.' Young readers, especially those navigating difficult issues such as poverty, illness, isolation, depression and death, will find a friend in Chela Gonzalez, a typical sixth-grader who learns to find strength from within in order to transcend the many troubles outside her control." — El Paso Times
"It's the first book by author Claudia Martinez, and one can hope that there are more to come… The Smell of Old Lady Perfume is the story of a young girl trying to find her way as life around her changes and she is powerless to control the changes. Love triumphs all and Chela learns that the love of family is something that never changes." — Chicago Young Adult Fiction Examiner
"In her poignant first novel, Martinez encompasses the pains of school, the loss of friends, and most importantly the library collection masterfully discusses the power of smell and how it can evoke strong emotions and memories. Tweens will easily relate to Chela’s struggles and triumphs, particularly immigrant tweens. Highly Recommended." — REFORMA Newsletter
"[ Smell of Old Lady Perfume ] is a melodic and melancholy tale of a girl’s sixth-grade year." — El Paso Scene
