Sonia Manzano to Release Highly Anticipated New Book, 'Becoming Maria'
14 Jul 2015
(July 15 2015) | Sesame Street actress and APB speaker Sonia Manzano is slated to release a new book in August entitled Becoming Maria: Love and Chaos in the South Bronx, which was recently praised by Kirkus Reviews as “a lyrical and unflinching account" that paints "a poignant, startlingly honest picture of [Manzano's] youth.”
Manzano, who grew up in the South Bronx, shares a chronological series of vignettes of her tough Nuyorican upbringing in Becoming Maria. Split into three parts, Manzano’s memoir “lovingly details life-changing moments,” such as seeing West Side Story, visiting Puerto Rico and successfully auditioning for a spot in Manhattan’s High School of Performing Arts. Becoming Maria tells how Manzano’s tragedies and triumphs helped her become the actress that generations of children grew up seeing on Sesame Street.
Manzano’s courage to never give up pushed her through high school and then college, and within a year of graduating she found herself on Sesame Street. A fearless trailblazer, Manzano shares her extraordinary story to help children succeed, advocating for education for all. She speaks about writing for children, children’s television, Latino history and more in engaging and inspiring keynotes.