The following review was contributed by: LILY AZERAD-GOLDMAN

To read an interview with Carol Weston click HERE

Spring break couldn’t be more fun than with the Martin family. Carol Weston’s latest in a series of diaries With love from Spain, Melanie Martin, once again creates characters that have become our believable invisible friends.

Melanie is now a big girl of eleven and her brother Matt the brat is seven.

Melanie’s diary candidly describes her family’s whirlwind activities, as they voyage to Spain and indulge themselves in Spanish customs & culture.

Everyone seems to go to bed at an unheard of late hour. They thoroughly enjoy Flamencos, bullfights, fiestas and fireworks, artwork and architecture.

Carol Weston adds a delicious dimension to this fun and funny saga-puppy love! At first, Melanie was not too ecstatic about traveling to Spain. Her art teacher mother, “Me Ron Dah”(Miranda) was going to meet an old Spanish flame: Antonio. In a quirky twist, Antonio has a cute son, Miguel. We can’t wait to peek at Melanie’s diary to see what’s going to happen!

The novel rolls along smoothly, and confidences between mother and daughter are tenderly presented. Sibling rivalry continues with poop language that will delight seven year olds.

Carol Weston continues with her word wizardry. She is a true linguist, teaching Spanish with clever phonetics, rhymes to remember names: “El Greco- gecko” – “Frank Gehry-hairy.”

Moreover, she frequently uses pairs of words in two languages that look or sound similar but differ in meaning. In French we call this “faux amis,” and in English it is called “false friends.”

This is particularly amusing if one of the two words is somewhat “obscene” or out of context. For example, “embarazada” means pregnant and not embarrassed! Melanie goofs and tells Miguel that she is “embarazada!” Some other words sound like curse words: “azafatas,” or “stewardesses.” No doubt these plays on words will bring laughter to many a youngster and adult alike.

Move over Hermione (Harry Potter’s Friend), Melanie Martin has arrived on her magical flying diary.