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ABOUT THE BOOK
NO SPOILERSMabuhay! follows Filipino American siblings JJ and Althea Bulan, who spend their summer stuck working their family's food truck, The Beautiful Pig. JJ dances around in a sweaty pig mascot costume while Althea hands out samples to schoolmates who already think she's odd. JJ just wants to fit in and maybe get noticed by Haley P, the popular girl whose family hired the truck to cater her end of year party, while Althea has stopped caring what anyone thinks since her old friend group dropped her. Then their uncle, Tito Arvin, shows up in the middle of the night with a warning that the family is in danger, their parents start acting strangely secretive, and both kids begin having the exact same nightmare about a huge, glowing masked face. Something is coming for the Bulans, and it has nothing to do with lumpia or catering gigs.
Free Battle of the Books questions for Mabuhay!
SPOILERSEvery one of these has the same answer, and that is the point. In a real battle the question is read aloud with a dozen other books in play, and students have a few seconds to place it. Here is what a battle might ask about Mabuhay!. Use them as a quiz, a trivia round, or BOTB practice.
Where in the book they come from
- Early in the book
In what book does a boy step on a loose basketball and sprain his arm in gym?
✓ Answer
Mabuhay! by Zachary Sterling
JJ is trying to look cool in front of Haley P when he goes down hard in front of the whole class. The sling he gets is why his dad jokes about a one armed mascot, and he is still wearing it when the monsters show up.
- First half
In what book does a mother warn her phone-obsessed daughter that she might turn into a pineapple?
✓ Answer
Mabuhay! by Zachary Sterling
Mary-Joy snatches Althea's phone at the food truck and launches into the folktale of Pinya, the girl who never looked for anything. The warning sounds like a joke right up until the pineapple girl herself walks into their living room.
- First half
In what book does a winged creature perch on a highway overpass watching a family's food truck?
✓ Answer
Mabuhay! by Zachary Sterling
As the Bulans drive home, a gaunt bat winged aswang watches from above and says the plan can move forward once they have the children. Nobody in the truck sees it, which makes the moment even scarier for the reader.
- Second half
In what book does a lazy houseguest take over a boy's bed and snore all night?
✓ Answer
Mabuhay! by Zachary Sterling
Juan Tamad was told to sleep on the floor and instead sprawls across JJ's mattress murmuring about how soft it is. JJ ends up on the floor listening to him snore, right before the shared nightmare finds him again.
- Second half
In what book does a monster drink an entire school swimming pool dry?
✓ Answer
Mabuhay! by Zachary Sterling
The berberoka grows bigger the more water it swallows, so it turns the pool into a whirlpool with Althea and Pinya still in it. When it is finally beaten it melts and all that water pours back in.
- Near the end
In what book does a glowing gem drop out of a sliced banana blossom?
✓ Answer
Mabuhay! by Zachary Sterling
Young Arvin swings his machete carelessly and cuts the one thing Jayson told him not to damage. The gem is the mutya ng saging, and everything in the story flows from that one accident.
