Isabel Quintero is an American writer of

young adult literature Young adult literature (YA) is typically written for readers aged 12 to 18 and includes most of the themes found in adult fiction, such as family dysfunction, substance abuse, alcoholism, and sexuality. It is characterized by simpler world build ...

, poetry and fiction.

Early life

Quintero was born in the

Inland Empire The Inland Empire (commonly abbreviated as the IE) is a metropolitan area and region inland of and adjacent to coastal Southern California, centering around the cities of San Bernardino and Riverside, and bordering Los Angeles County and Or ...

of Southern California and grew up in the city of

Corona Corona (from the Latin for 'crown') most commonly refers to: * Stellar corona, the outer atmosphere of the Sun or another star * Corona (beer), a Mexican beer * Corona, informal term for the coronavirus or disease responsible for the COVID-19 ...

. An elderly couple, Victor and Lucia Mejia, helped raise Isabel and her younger brother, and they became their grandparents. Quintero attended

California State University The California State University (Cal State or CSU) is a Public university, public university system in California, and the List of largest universities and university networks by enrollment, largest public university system in the United States ...

San Bernardino San Bernardino ( ) is a city in and the county seat of San Bernardino County, California, United States. Located in the Inland Empire region of Southern California, the city had a population of 222,101 in the 2020 census, making it the List of ...

where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in English, and later a Master of Arts in English Composition.

Career

Quintero taught English at San Bernardino Valley College and Mt. San Jacinto College. She is a freelance writer for the Arts Council of San Bernardino and an active member of PoetrIE, an organization working to bring literary arts to Inland Empire communities. Quintero is the author of the young adult fiction novel ''Gabi, A Girl in Pieces'' (2014) and two books for younger children, ''Ugly Cat and Pablo'' (2017) and ''Ugly Cat and Pablo and the Missing Brother'' (2017). She has also written a graphic novel, ''Photographic: The Life of Graciela Iturbide''.

Works

Books

* ''Gabi, a Girl in Pieces''. El Paso, TX: Cinco Puntos Press, 2014. * ''Ugly Cat & Pablo''. Illustrated by Tom Knight. New York, NY: Scholastic, 2017. * ''Ugly Cat & Pablo and the Missing Brother''. Illustrated by Tom Knight. New York, NY: Scholastic, 2018. * ''Photographic: The Life of Graciela Iturbide''. Illustrated by Zeke Peña. New York, NY: Getty Publications (Distribution by Abrams), 2018. * ''My Papi Has a Motorcycle''. Illustrated by Zeke Peña. New York, NY: Kokila, 2019.

Awards

*''Gabi, a Girl in Pieces'' has received multiple recognitions: ** Winner of the William C. Morris Award for YA Debut Novel ** Gold Medal Winner of the California Book Award for Young Adult 2015 ** School Library Journal Best Books of 2014 ** Booklist Best Books of 2014 ** Amelia Bloomer List, part of the American Library Association, Social Responsibilities Round Table's Feminist Task Force ** 2015 YALSA Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Adult Readers, Top 10 Selection ** 2015 YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults ** 2015 Tomás Rivera Award, Works for Older Children ** 2015 Paterson Prize for Books for Young People, Grades 7-12 *
2015 Capitol Choices: Noteworthy Books for Children and Teens
*''Photographic: The Life of Graciela Iturbide'' won the 2018 Boston Globe–Horn Book Nonfiction Award

References

External links

* * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Quintero, Isabel Year of birth missing (living people) Living people 21st-century American novelists 21st-century American poets 21st-century American women writers American writers of Mexican descent American writers of young adult literature California State University, San Bernardino alumni Novelists from California People from Corona, California People from San Bernardino, California Poets from California American women writers of young adult literature