T
his fall, fans of Andrea Beaty and David Roberts’s
Questioneers series, which centers on resourceful
and enterprising kids, will meet a brand-new heroine.
Sofi a Valdez, Future Prez stars a Mexican-American girl who
is disappointed when her plan to transform her town’s landfi ll
into a park falls through. Not one to stew on dreams deferred,
however, Sofi a doubles down on her sense of civic duty,
resolving to change the world anyway.
According to Roberts and Beaty, Sofi a’s character actually
came about through one of their earlier books. In fact, ever since
their fi rst collaboration, Igg y Peck, Architect, that’s how all the
Questioneer protagonists have been born. “Th e beauty of Da-
vid’s art is that it seems so simple, but there is so much going on,”
Beaty told PW earlier this year. Th e titular character from Rosie
Revere, Engineer was based on a girl who appears in Igg y Peck.
“In one illustration,” Beaty says, “while Iggy constructs a bridge,
a girl looks on, tapping on her chin, and I thought, ‘Th at girl is
curious and full of questions—she is defi nitely a scientist!’”
For the new book, Roberts and Beaty had a good feeling
about another side character. “[Roberts] shared some nuggets
about a girl in a blue dress whose family was originally from
Mexico and who is seen in Ada Twist hugging a jar tightly,”
Beaty says. “I began to wonder if she has a dream or a wish in
it—something that is very precious to her.”
Undoubtedly, Sofi a’s can-do att itude and presidential aspi-
rations are timely. “We are going through a rough patch in our
country, and kids, especially those from immigrant families, are
having all sorts of nonsense tossed at them and are feeling a great“I began thinking about a story
that would show children that
they have some power and that
they can fi nd the strength to
focus on one thing they can do
to make a change. To me, Sofi a
Va l d e z is a story about bravery
and community, emphasizing that
everybody has a role to play.”PH
OTO
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deal of anxiety,” Beaty says. “I began thinking about a story that
would show children that they have some power and that they
can fi nd the strength to focus on one thing they can do to make a
change. To me, Sofi a Valdez is a story about bravery and commu-
nity, emphasizing that everybody has a role to play.”
Abrams editor Erica Finkel says that this addition to the
series is an especially important one. While previous books
have focused largely on STEM subjects, she admires Sofi a Val-
dez for integrating themes about social awareness. “Th e story
explores what it means to be a citizen and encourages kids to
stand up for what is important to them, no matt er what pro-
fession they are interested in pursuing,” Finkel told PW earlier
this year. “Like the earlier books in the series, this story intro-
duces kids to a fun and empowering way to problem solve and
take the initiative to fi gure out the world on their own.”ANDREA BEATY ON SOFIA VALDEZ,
FUTURE PREZ
Saturday, Nov. 23, 4:30 p.m.
Wembly’s Author TentInnerTraditions.com
“fascinating and
profoundly relevant”
—Rick Doblin, Ph.D.,
founder and executive
director MAPS$19.99 • 352 pages
Paperback • 2 b&w illustrations
978-1-62055-970-3“...a rare but profound
gift to humanity.
Highly recommended!”
—Eben Alexander, M.D.,
author of Proof of HeavenNew Release
Fall 2019