At the Medio School for Girls, distinguished young women are trained for one of two roles in their polarized society. Depending on her specialization, a graduate will one day run a husband’s household or raise his children. Both paths promise a life of comfort and luxury, far from the frequent political uprisings of the lower class.

Daniela Vargas is the school’s top student, but her pedigree is a lie. She must keep the truth hidden or be sent back to the fringes of society.

And school couldn’t prepare her for the difficult choices she must make after graduation, especially when she is asked to spy for a resistance group desperately fighting to bring equality to Medio.

Will Dani cling to the privilege her parents fought to win for her, or will she give up everything she’s strived for in pursuit of a free Medio—and a chance at love?

     Mrs. Penn and Miss Rak from the Library Media Center hosted a Dia de los Meurtos  (Day of the Dead) celebration.  Several stations were set up around the LMC that included a variety of paper crafts focused on calacas (skeletons), poetry activities, a butterfly migration interactive website and a themed bingo game.  The featured work of Mexican artist Jose Guadalupe Pasada with skulls and skeletons became associated with Dia de los Muertos after a public works mural by Diego Rivera included La Catrina, a highly recongized figure in Mexican tradition.      
     A food station provided samples of traditional Mexican foods, including pan de muerto (bread of the dead), leche quemada (translates to "burnt milk," but tastes like a caramel/butterscotch blend candy), and agua jamaica (a hibiscus tea spiced with brown sugar, cinnamon, and cloves).     
     The ofrenda (altar) station was an example of a Dia de los Muertos altar dedicated to deceased loved ones. It typically is made up of pictures of the deceased, sugar skulls, marigold flowers, foods that the deceased enjoyed, and other decorations. Maggie, a student volunteer, provided an explanation of its meaning to students.
     Sugar skulls (calaveras), made of sugar, meringue powder, and water, represent departed souls.  Typically, the names of the deceased are inscribed on the forehead, decorated, and placed on the ofrenda as another offering to those who have passed on. They're a type of traditional folk art that has expanded to be more well-recognized in popular culture.     
     The afternoon assembly was presented by Amor and Heritage and featured dancers, storytelling, percussion instruments and a dance lesson for all.