Maya & Miguel

When the usually meticulous Rosa scorches the family breakfast, Maya thinks the apartment is cursed with bad luck. Using Maggie’s grandmother’s Guide to Feng Shui (which they don’t really have time to read thoroughly), Maya, Miguel and the gang redecorate the entire place in an effort to restore positive energy before Santiago brings home an important supplier for dinner that evening. But at dinner that night, the kids’ freshly painted walls, makeshift Asian fountains, and rearranged furniture cause a lot more harm than good.

One evening, after Maya sees Abuela Elena dancing alone after dinner, she decides that her grandmother’s cheery exterior is masking a deep loneliness — and that Abuela Elena needs to be fixed up on a date. Maya’s big idea launches a quest for an eligible sixty-something bachelor, the mother of all makeovers, and a blind date that doesn’t go as planned.

Miguel recalls the time that a new kid moved into the neighborhood: Andy. As we all know, Andy’s missing an arm. Maya, eager to make Andy feel comfortable in their group, tries to steer the boys away from playing sports because she assumes that Andy won’t be able to participate. This results in the proverbial unstoppable force (Maya) meeting the immovable object (Miguel and his boys trying to play ball). And besides, the boys don’t seem to have any problem with playing ball with Andy. In the end, Maya learns that true sensitivity means treating others as equals.

When Paco unwittingly destroys Miguel’s favorite Orlando Cruz baseball card, Maya decides to fix the situation by getting an autograph from Orlando himself, who is coming to town that weekend with his team. What ensues is a “Naked Gun”-like series of escapades where the kids try to get ever closer to the star by impersonating a boy-band, hot dog vendors, and a big furry mascot.

When Chrissy’s kitten runs away, Maya and her friends put up signs and spread the word about the lost “gato.” Unfortunately, Maggie’s Spanish is terrible, and she tells people they’re missing a “pato” — a duck. Soon Maya is stuck with a disgruntled and irascible duck in her apartment, on the same afternoon, it turns out, that the landlord is coming by to make some repairs. And she still has to find the lost kitty.

While Maya and Miguel are searching with their Abuela Elena for treasures through her seemingly bottomless trunk of memories, they happen upon an old menu from her defunct restaurant “La Cocinita.” She rhapsodizes dreamily about the menu – summoning magical, Marquez-like concoctions that can cure an ill-tempered grouch. After a walk around the neighborhood, they see grumpiness and general disharmony everywhere, and Maya quickly decides that not only Abuela Elena, but the whole neighborhood is in need of a New Cocinita to bring happiness and harmony to everyone with the magic of the old recipes. Enlisting her friends to be the kitchen and wait staff, Maya prepares for the big opening night over Miguel’s steady stream of protests and warnings. Of course, Maya and her crew soon get in over their heads.

Maya finds an abandoned letter on Miguel’s desk, written to a pretty girl in their class named Esperanza. Thinking that her brother might need a little help in making friends, Maya (with the eager assistance of Maggie and Chrissy) tells Esperanza how wonderful Miguel is. No sooner does Esperanza decide that Miguel is the coolest boy in the fifth grade than Maya learns that the real author of the letter wasn’t Miguel, but Andy! Suddenly, the Tres Amigas have a lot of explaining to do.

When Paco stops speaking, Maya and Santiago take him to the vet, who tells them that the poor parrot is simply lonely staying at home all day. Maya solves the problem by taking Paco to school with her. But when Paco gives wrong answers in front of the class, accidentally insults kids in the hall, and eventually flies off somewhere in the school, Maya has a lot of problems to solve all at once.

When Maya wants to add some oomph to her presentation about Mexico for school, she consults her Abuela Elena, who allows her to borrow a prized possession: a calavera, or skull made of sugar, that is used in the yearly Day of the Dead celebration. Maya promises to let nothing happen to this special calavera. Her presentation goes well, but Maya loses the calavera! After Theo, Maggie, Chrissy and Andy each share their fantastical ideas about how the lost calavera will make Abuela feel, Maya herself feels horrible. She promised her abuela that she wouldn’t let anything happen to it! Then, as luck would have it, Maya discovers that she accidentally switched backpacks with another student, and the calavera is recovered. An excited Maya can’t contain herself, and while jumping up and down, breaks the calavera! Maya is determined not to let her abuela down, and goes to great lengths to have the calavera re-made. Unfortunately, this too is a disaster. When Abuela is finally told the truth, Maya is surprised – Abuela is happy! Not about the calavera, but about Maya’s good grade on her presentation. And though Abuela misses the calavera, she thinks that rebuilding it together would make her even happier.

Maggie wants to star in the upcoming School Assembly Day show. Her teacher, Mrs. Langley, recognizes her talent and assigns her the starring role, which she must share with non-dancer Miguel. Horrified, Miguel wants to have nothing to do with this show, but Mrs. Langley won’t let him out of the deal. The only person who could do that is the Class President. Maya has a bright idea: Maggie will run for Class President. She’s popular, and nobody else is running! Then she can change the show to suit both her and Miguel. Unfortunately, someone else decides to run, an unassuming kid named Simon. Maya and Maggie try to out-glitz Simon, by sponsoring makeovers and re-decorating the cafeteria, with comically disastrous results. Simon, meanwhile, takes the time to listen to the concerns of the other students. In the end, Maggie comes to realize that Simon cares about what the other students want, while she was only running for selfish reasons... and so she announces at the presidential debate that she is supporting Simon. Simon wins by a landslide... and his first act as President is to appoint Maggie to be director of School Assembly Day, to change the show however she wants.

Maya notices something’s wrong with Tito. He’s not interested in playing soccer or eating ice cream. Is he sick? It turns out he’s homesick. It all starts when Tito gets a postcard from his cousins in Mexico. Tito misses them and misses his former home. Maya, eager to help her cousin feel better, decides that if they can’t take Tito back to Mexico, they’ll bring Mexico to Tito! Maya ropes the rest of the gang into helping her with the research and acquisition of Mexican objects, foods, and information. Events escalate with typically Maya-esque results, and pretty soon the Community Center is packed with all things Mexican. Unfortunately, one thing leads to another, and the entire display is destroyed... right before Tito gets to the Center. Maya is mortified, but Tito is happy. Seeing how much everyone cared about him helped to lift his homesickness. After all, he is home with Maya, too. Just then the big surprise appears: Tito’s cousins, brought from Mexico!