THE ENCHANTED LIFE OF VALENTINA MEJÍA

Valentina has grown up with Papi’s fantastical stories of Colombian monsters and magic.

Now she’s 12, she thinks the stories are a bit outlandish. When she and her brother, Julián, accompany their dad on a hunt in the Colombian Andes for la patasola—a vampiric demon woman with one leg—the siblings become separated from their dad by a sudden earthquake that leaves him gravely injured. They find themselves in a world beneath their own, one that’s similar to Colombia but filled with the mythical creatures from the stories they grew up with. This world is unwelcoming to humans, and they must travel to find Madremonte, the ruler of the land, to convince her to help them before it’s too late. In this story skillfully infused with Colombian folklore, Julián and Valentina encounter a variety of beings, including la mano peluda, a hairy hand that lurks beneath children’s beds; duendes, or trickster elves; and el mohán, who has the power to bewitch you. A terrifying encounter with el silbón, a harbinger of death, has Valentina running for her life, and she’ll need all the bravery she can muster to save her captured brother, reunite her family, and unravel the mystery of Madremonte’s discontent. With the action beginning on the first page, this fast-paced adventure set in a well-realized world will keep readers on their toes.

Modern kids meet traditional tales with thrilling results.