Alexandra Alessandri

Love can be many things – all-consuming, fleeting, vengeful, selfless, toxic, uplifting, and always, a core part of the teen experience that leaves an indelible mark. This enchanting, genre-crossing anthology delivers something for every reader with unique characters, global settings, and a dazzling mixture of myth, historical, speculative, and contemporary fiction. With the turn of a page, get swept away by unexpected love blooming between two princes from enemy Mesoamerican nations in the 15th century, who'd rather make music rather than war; cheer for a timid bearded lady who was shunned by her family and runs away to find belonging and safety at the circus during the 1800s experience the heartbreak of saying goodbye to a beloved pet; breathlessly watch a myth unfold as a siren bound to the water falls in love with a winged forest spirit, their love seemingly impossible from the start. Root for a girl who emerges from grief and battles with chronic pain to discover how to love herself and life again. Love is complicated, and this anthology embraces the messiness and the joy of all kinds of love. Contributors include: Alexandra Alessandri David Bowles Melanie Crowder Margarita Engle Eric Gansworth Robin Gow Mariama J. Lockington Laura Ruby Padma Venkatraman Jasmine Warga Charles Waters Kip Wilson

A funny, relatable middle school drama about two Colombian American girls who have always been BFFs—until sixth grade turns everything upside down. Luchy Zapata is starting middle school, and she’s muy excited. She and her two best friends, Cami and Mateo, will finally be at the same school. Luchy and Mateo will be in art class together, and she and Cami can try out for the same soccer team! As long as they’re all together, Luchy can handle anything. But Cami has been acting weird ever since she got back from visiting family in Colombia. She’s making new, “cool” friends who just seem mean. And suddenly, everything about Luchy and Mateo is too immature for her. Luchy is determined to help Cami remember how special their friendship is. They’ve been BFFs their whole lives, and that can’t just disappear in a poof of glitter! But…what if Cami doesn’t even want to be friends anymore?

"An exceptionally well-crafted story brimming with mythological creatures, captivating characters, and non-stop adventure." --Christina Diaz Gonzalez, bestselling author of Invisible Encanto meets The Chronicles of Narnia by way of Colombian folklore in this "fast-paced...thrilling" (Kirkus Reviews, starred review) middle grade fantasy adventure. To save their father's life, a brother and sister must journey across a land full of mythical creatures and find the most powerful and dangerous of them all: the madremonte. Twelve-year-old Valentina wants to focus on drawing the real world around her and hopefully get into art school in Bogot one day, but Papi has spent his life studying Colombia's legendary creatures and searching for proof of their existence. So when Papi hears that a patasola--a vampire woman with one leg--has been sighted in the Andes, Valentina and her younger brother Juli n get dragged along on another magical creature hunt. While they're in the Andes, a powerful earthquake hits. Valentina and Juli n fall through the earth...and find an alternate Colombia where, to Valentina's shock, all the legends are real. To get home, Valentina and Juli n must make a treacherous journey to reach this land's ruler: the madremonte, mother and protector of the earth. She controls the only portal back to the human world--but she absolutely hates humans, and she'll do anything to defend her land.

Encanto meets The Chronicles of Narnia by way of Colombian folklore in this middle grade fantasy adventure. To save their father's life, a brother and sister must journey across a land full of mythical creatures and find the most powerful and dangerous of them all: the madremonte. Twelve-year-old Valentina wants to focus on drawing the real world around her and hopefully get into art school in Bogot one day, but Papi has spent his life studying Colombia's legendary creatures and searching for proof of their existence. So when Papi hears that a patasola--a vampire woman with one leg--has been sighted in the Andes, Valentina and her younger brother Juli n get dragged along on another magical creature hunt. While they're in the Andes, a powerful earthquake hits. Valentina and Juli n fall through the earth...and find an alternate Colombia where, to Valentina's shock, all the legends are real. To get home, Valentina and Juli n must make a treacherous journey to reach this land's ruler: the madremonte, mother and protector of the earth. She controls the only portal back to the human world--but she absolutely hates humans, and she'll do anything to defend her land.

English, with its blustery blues and whites, just feels wrong to Isabel. She prefers the warm oranges and pinks of Spanish. As she prepares for class at a new school, she knows she's going to have to learn--and she would rather not Her first day is uncomfortable, until she discovers there's more than one way to communicate with friends. This is a universal story about feeling new and making new friends.