ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Your second book is going to be hard. I’ve heard this expressed by so many authors. So, when I sat down to write the first draft of Ellen Outside the Lines, I assumed it’d be a challenge—and it absolutely was.

That’s why I’m grateful for the people who read Ellen’s story early on and urged me to keep writing. Thank you to my agent, Jordan Hamessley, for your feedback and encouragement from the earliest stages of this story’s development. I couldn’t do this without your guidance or the support of the other wonderful folks at New Leaf Literary.

My editor, Lisa Yoskowitz, expressed enthusiasm for Ellen’s story when it was little more than a synopsis and a handful of chapters. Lisa, your insightful observations and feedback helped me elevate this story and shape it into something I will always be proud of—todah rabah.

Ellen’s beautiful, vibrant cover wouldn’t exist without the masterful work of cover artist Ana Hinojosa and cover designer Angelie Yap. Thank you both for bringing Ellen and Barcelona to life in such vivid detail. Thank you as well to my amazing publicists—Katharine McAnarney and Marisa Russell—to Hannah Milton as assistant editor, to production editor Marisa Finkelstein, copy editor Vivian Kirklin, the marketing team of Stefanie Hoffman, Shanese Mullins, Mara Brashem, and Christie Michel, and the rest of the Little, Brown Books for Young Readers team who helped bring Ellen’s story to readers.

So many people took time out of their lives to read parts of this manuscript. A special thank-you to Nicole Melleby for all the support and feedback (and text messages!). I’m grateful for your notes, of course, but I’m even more grateful for our friendship. Thanks also to Joy Ding for being one of my longest and staunchest writing friends. I am beyond fortunate to know you!

Thank you, Julie Artz, Eric Bell, Jennifer L. Brown, Katrina Emmel, Maria Frazer, Sarah Kapit, Hannah Kates, and Jessica Vitalis for your notes on early chapters and on my synopsis. To Sandra Proudman for your feedback on my entire manuscript and insight into Mexican American culture and the Spanish language. Thank you, Ellen Melleby, for your notes on the Spanish language used by my American characters. And a big muchas gracias to Alena Pons for helping ensure the Castilian and Catalan phrases used in this manuscript are accurate, as well as organic to the characters speaking them.

Virtual writing groups were the only reason I got anything done while sheltering in place at home in 2020 and 2021. Thanks for keeping me consistently writing, Camille Baumann-Jaeger, Alex Brown, Mary Chadd, J. Elle, Sharae Green, Jennifer Honeybourn, Mallory Lass, Gina Loveless, Karen McCoy, Taj McCoy, Anna-Marie McLemore, Lee O’Brien, Jamie Pacton, K Lynn Patterson, Justine Pucella Winans, Sandra Proudman, Mary E. Roach, Laura E. Southern, Shannon A. Thompson, and Taylor Tracy.

My parents, Vicky and David Sass, encouraged my love of language-learning and travel from the very start. I still cherish the books you brought me back as gifts from your business trips, Dad. And Mom, you’ve always supported my voracious love of languages, never telling me that trying to learn three at a time (or four, or five…) was too much. This book exists because you both encouraged me to follow my interests.

To my brother Michael, my sister-in-law Cathryn, and nieflings Peter, Daniel, and Clara: I love you and wish you many exciting adventures in the years to come.

I would not be able to put the necessary time and effort into my work as an author without the support of my boyfriend, Deven Cao. He also reminds me to take breaks, to savor what I’ve already accomplished, and to keep looking forward. Thank you, Deven, for being the most wonderful partner.

Lastly, thank you to every person who has read Ana on the Edge and Ellen Outside the Lines, and thank you to the bloggers, parents, librarians, and educators who have ensured my stories get into readers’ hands. Your efforts and enthusiasm are so appreciated.