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REAL TWINS, #138
When a TV commercial announces that a new reality show about twins is looking for entrants, Maya thinks that she and Miguel should send an audition video. Miguel points out that he and Maya are not identical twins, which is what is usually shown on TV. But Maya says the name of the show is "Real Twins"...and she and Miguel are real! Maya and Miguel film a video highlighting all of their talents. The director of the show appears, telling Maya and Miguel that they are finalists for the show! Maya and Miguel are thrilled... until they see the audition tape of the other finalists: Barry and Gary, two identical twins at their school who are eerily alike, even for twins. Maya is convinced that she and Miguel need to be more alike to get on the show. With their friends' help, they re-decorate their rooms to be exactly alike and begin wearing similar clothes. In the end, the entire act unravels, and Maya and Miguel are revealed to be very un-alike twins. The director admits that Maya and Miguel's many talents in the audition tape were what attracted the director in the first place. Unfortunately, while trying to be exactly alike, they never demonstrated any of their talents. Maya and Miguel learn to be themselves and treasure their unique talents.
Vocabulary
words: twins, alike, different |
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GIVE ME A LITTLE SIGN, #139
Tito befriends a new boy, Marco, who is deaf. Marco starts to teach Tito some American Sign Language, and they decide to do a project together for the school’s “Contraption Convention.” But when Tito makes some pronunciation mistakes in school, he decides he doesn’t want to do the project anymore (since it involves public speaking). Only when he sees how Marco persists in getting across what he wants to say – even when people misunderstand him at first – does he realize the value of practice and determination, and decides to go ahead with the project.
Vocabulary
words: invention, friendship, I love you
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A STAR IS BORN, #140
Santiago is going to make a television commercial for his pet store... but when Maya hears what he has in mind, she decides to take over and produce something flashier, to really draw in customers. Together with Miguel, she puts together the entire production. Paco, meanwhile, dreaming of his big break in show business, continually pops up, trying to get on camera... but is repeatedly rebuffed as Maya's production goes haywire. Santiago wants to make his simple commercial, but Maya won't hear of it. She enlists a professional director (Fabian) to come and make it even more stupendous... but he ends up replacing Santiago with an actor playing him! In the end, Fabian is removed, and Maya comes to realize that Santiago should make a commercial that honestly represents him and his pet store... which he does.
Vocabulary
words: action, commercial, star
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PAPER GIRL, #141
Maya decides that the lackluster school newspaper needs some zing, so she agrees to be editor and enlists all her friends to help out. But when their articles are a little too ordinary, she injects a dose of creative editing that makes the paper the talk of the school. But when people realize Maya doesn't have her facts straight, her reputation as a journalist is on the line, and she has to make amends -- before the midnight deadline.
Vocabulary
words: clock, ink, notepad
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MIGUEL’S WONDERFUL LIFE, #142
It's Christmas, and the Santos family is getting ready for the festivities. Maya, in her enthusiasm, manages to mess up things for Miguel: she spills juice on his book report, volunteers him to hang a piñata in class (a task which makes him take a humiliating fall), volunteers him to wear a too-big Santa suit and follow her around wishing their neighbors happy holidays (his pants fall down in front of everyone), and smudges a painting he was making as a gift to his parents. Frustrated, Miguel angrily declares that he wishes he never had a sister. The next day, he awakens to find his wish has come true; Maya doesn't exist, and nobody's ever heard of her. Paco (who has inexplicably become incredibly articulate) follows him around, commenting as Miguel takes in how the world has changed. At first, it seems like all his Maya-made troubles are over... but then Miguel sees how the lack of Maya's influence has adversely affected the world: Maggie and Chrissy aren't friends because they had a difference of opinion (which Maya had previously helped them overcome), Mr. Nguyen isn't their teacher because he felt unappreciated (Maya had made him feel appreciated), Jimmy McCorkle became a bully, etc. Finally realizing how much worse everything is without Maya, Miguel regrets he ever made the wish, and wishes it all to be reversed. Poof! The world goes back to normal. Maya is back, Miguel's painting is still ruined, and Miguel couldn't be happier to have a twin sister.
Vocabulary
words: decorations, presents, Santa Claus |
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