David Bowles

"It’s a timeless story told in a timely way: Mayan codex meets superhero comic book"—New York Times A middle grade graphic novel follows the adventures of a magical boy from Maya mythology. The first of a series based on ancient Mesoamerican myths and legends. Sayam has always been different from other kids—he’s very short for his age, his best friend is a monkey, and most curious of all: he was born from an egg! His grandmother, a witch, found him and taught him all the ancient magic she uses to help her people. So when a giant snake starts terrorizing a nearby city, Sayam decides it’s time for him to use his knowledge to help others, and steps into action. But the beast might not be Sayam’s biggest problem: the ruthless King Kinich Kak Ek sees Sayam as a threat to his throne. Prophecy declares that whoever succeeds at three impossible tests will be king. Monstrous snakes and impossible tests are a lot for a boy to handle, but Sayam is brave and has a loyal monkey, a wise grandmother, and magical knowledge on his side! Fans of adventure tales with a mythological focus—such as Bowles’ previous work with Latin American myths, The Chupacabras of the Rio Grande and the Garza Twin series, as well as Rick Riordan Presents, especially the Storm Runner novels—will love this exciting and accessible graphic novel. Rise of the Halfling King is also an invaluable educational tool for middle school students—it’s a well-researched introduction to Maya culture, made accessible by an expert in Mesoamerican culture and juvenile literature. Bowles previously stitched together tales from Maya, Aztec, and other ancient mythology from pre-Columbian Mexico in the critically-acclaimed YA book, Feathered Serpent, Dark Heart of Sky. David Bowles is a Mexican American author and educator based in South Texas. He has written fourteen books. His middle grade novel-in-verse They Call Me Güero has been the recipient of numerous honors such as the Pura Belpré Honor, the Tomás Rivera Mexican American Children’s Book Award, the Claudia Lewis Award for Excellence in Poetry, the Walter Dean Myers Honor Award for Outstanding Children’s Literature, the Texas Institute of Letters Best Middle Grade Book Award, the Skipping Stones Award; the book is also an Américas Book Award Commended Title and was named in the Bluebonnet Award Masterlist. Some of his other books are Feathered Serpent, Dark Heart of Sky and The Smoking Mirror. Charlene Bowles is a comic artist and illustrator based in Texas. She graduated from The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley in 2018. Rise of the Halfling King is her debut graphic novel and her work has also been featured on the covers of the award-winning Garza Twins books. She is currently developing many of her own comic projects. Best Books of 2020, Middle Grade—Kirkus Reviews 2021 TLA Little Maverick list 101 Great Books for Kids List of 2020, Evanston Public Library

La vida de un ni o nacido en la frontera no es f cil, pero G ero sabe c mo hacerle frente: escribiendo poemas. G ero tiene doce a os y es mexicano y americano al mismo tiempo. Sabe sentirse en casa en ambos lados del rio, y en su vida hay tanto espa ol como ingl s. G ero ha comenzado el s ptimo a o en la escuela, y su profe de ingl s hace que hasta los poemas suenen cool. G ero es como llaman a los chicos como el: p lidos. Pero no te equivoques, nuestro h roe pelirrojo y con pecas es puro mexicano, como el Canelo lvarez. Adem s, G ero es un nerd --lector, gamer, m sico-- que se junta con una banda de inadaptados como el: Los Bobbys. Como todos los chicos de su edad, Los Bobbys se meten en problemas y, hasta les gustan las chicas Pero bueno, cuidado con Joanna Es dura como ninguna. De la mano de las tradiciones familiares, su acorde n y su escuadr n de nerds, G ero le hace frente al s ptimo a o escolar con inteligencia y un gran corazon. ENGLISH DESCRIPTION Life is tough for a border kid, but G ero has figured out how to cope. He writes poetry. Twelve-year-old G ero is Mexican American, at home with Spanish or English and on both sides of the river. He's starting 7th grade with a woke English teacher who knows how to make poetry cool. In Spanish, "G ero" is a nickname for guys with pale skin, Latino or Anglo. But make no mistake: our red-headed, freckled hero is puro mexicano, like Canelo lvarez, the Mexican boxer. G ero is also a nerd --reader, gamer, musician-- who runs with a squad of misfits like him, Los Bobbys. Sure, they get in trouble like anybody else, and like other middle-school boys, they discover girls. Watch out for Joanna She's tough as nails. But trusting in his family's traditions, his accordion and his bookworm squad, he faces seventh grade with book smarts and a big heart.

A silly and spooky new highly illustrated series that’s perfect for fans of Eerie Elementary and Notebooks of Doom, featuring art on every page and fun activities at the end of each book! Ivan, Malia, and Dante are excited about their ski trip. There’s no chance they’ll stumble onto 13th Street in the mountains, right? WRONG! After being sucked through a portal, the cousins come face-to-face with joke-telling cougars that are more dangerous than they seem. How will the kids get out of trouble this time? Each story in this hilarious and scary new series from award-winning author David Bowles is designed to set independent readers up for success—with short, fast-paced chapters, art on every page, and progress bars at the end of each chapter!

A silly and spooky new highly illustrated series that’s perfect for fans of Eerie Elementary and Notebooks of Doom, featuring art on every page and fun activities at the end of each book! Cousins Dante, Malia, and Ivan are happy to be back in their home town. But then their school bus takes a wrong turn and they end up on 13th Street! There are new monsters to fight, but at least they have their friend Susana and their bus driver to help them. Will the gang ever make it to their first day of class? Each story in this hilarious and scary new series from award-winning author David Bowles is designed to set independent readers up for success—with short, fast-paced chapters, art on every page, and progress bars at the end of each chapter!

A new silly and spooky highly illustrated series that’s perfect for fans of Eerie Elementary and Notebooks of Doom, featuring art on every page and fun activities at the end of each book. It's a Halloween chapter book treat! Cousins Malia, Ivan, and Dante are visiting their aunt Lucy for the summer. But on their way to Gulf City’s water park, they get lost on 13th Street. Only it’s not a street at all. It’s a strange world filled with dangerous beasts! Will the cousins find their way back to Aunt Lucy’s? Each story in this hilarious and scary new series from award-winning author David Bowles is designed to set independent readers up for success—with short, fast-paced chapters, art on every page, and progress bars at the end of each chapter!

A new silly and spooky highly illustrated series that's perfect for fans of Eerie Elementary and Notebooks of Doom, featuring art on every page and fun activities at the end of each book. It's a Halloween chapter book treat Cousins Malia, Ivan, and Dante are visiting their aunt Lucy for the summer. But on their way to Gulf City's water park, they get lost on 13th Street. Only it's not a street at all. It's a strange world filled with dangerous beasts Will the cousins find their way back to Aunt Lucy's? Each story in this hilarious and scary new series from award-winning author David Bowles is designed to set independent readers up for success--with short, fast-paced chapters, art on every page, and progress bars at the end of each chapter

"Bowles, un maestro contador de historias, condensa en cada frase la riqueza cosmol gica de Mesoam rica y trae a la vida personajes ancestrales que son al tiempo divertidos, desgarradores, encantadores, grotescos y venerables... Acad micos y amantes de la mitolog a y el folclore: a adan este libro a los cl sicos" -World Literature Today David Bowles teje la fragmentada mitolog a del M xico precolombino en una narraci n emocionante y homog nea que sigue la tradici n del Ramayana de William Buck, de la Il ada de Robert Fagles y de los Mitos n rdicos de Neil Gaiman. Las leyendas mitol gicas reunidas en Serpiente emplumada, coraz n del cielo trazan la historia del mundo desde sus inicios en los sue os del dios dual, Ometeotl, hasta la llegada de los conquistadores espa oles a M xico y la ca da de la gran ciudad Tenochtitl n. En el transcurso de esta historia sabremos de los H roes Gemelos, la Serpiente Emplumada y el Coraz n del Cielo, y de c mo construyeron el mundo sobre la espalda de un leviat n; del nahualli que cambia de forma; y de los aluxes, aquellos seres con forma de elfos conocidos por ayudar a los vagabundos. Y finalmente, hallaremos cuentos aztecas sobre la llegada de los extranjeros barbudos provenientes del otro lado del mar, que buscan aniquilar el gobierno de Montezuma y destruir las historias que estamos leyendo. ENGLISH DESCRIPTION Kirkus Reviews' Best YA Books of 2018 That Feed Imaginations2018 Texas Institute of Letters Award for Best Young Adult BookA contemporary retelling of the origin myths of Mexico, crafter as a single cohesive narrative. The stories in Feathered Serpent, Dark Heart of Sky trace the history of the world from its beginnings in the dreams of the dual god Ometeotl, to the arrival of the Spanish conquistadors in Mexico and the fall of the great city Tenochtitlan. In the course of that history we learn about the Creator Twins, Feathered Serpent, and Dark Heart of Sky, and how they built the world on a leviathan's back; of the shape-shifting nahualli; and the aluxes--elfish beings known to help out the occasional wanderer. And finally, we read Aztec tales about the arrival of the blonde strangers from across the sea, the strangers who seek to upend the rule of Motecuhzoma and destroy the very stories we are reading. David Bowles stitches together the fragmented mythology of pre-Colombian Mexico into an exciting, unified narrative in the tradition of William Buck s Ramayana, Robert Fagles' Iliad, and Neil Gaiman's Norse Myths. Readers of Norse and Greek mythologies will delight in this rich retelling of stories less explored. Legends and myths captured David Bowles' imagination as a young Latino reader. He was fascinated with epics like the Iliad and the Odyssey. Despite growing up on the United States/Mexico border, he had never read a single Aztec or Mayan myth until he was in college. This experience inspired him to reconnect with that forgotten past. Several of his previous books have incorporated themes from ancient Mexican myths.

A new adventure begins for Elliot and Uchenna when Professor Fauna bursts into their classroom with a frightening report from the Texas-Mexico border: something has completely drained the blood from a cow's body! The team must fly to Laredo, where tempers are running high. Teaming up with local kids Lupita and Mateo - plus their brilliant mother, Dr. Alejandra Cervantes, and her curandero husband, Israel - can the Unicorn Rescue Society save the region's animals and help bring a divided community together once more? And what is that spiny, bloodsucking, adorable little creature?

The Castle of Horror Anthology is BACK with a collection of horror stories around the holidays, including but not exclusively the ones around the end of the year. We've reached out to the world's most skilled horroricians (TM) to bring you this new collection of work, so settle in with a cup of egg nog and join us We've got sly demon horror from Tony Bloodworth (in the second part of a long tale begun in the Castle of Horror Anthology, Volume 1), summer holiday river tubing horror from Jason Henderson (our fearless editor), pre-Columbian-demon-hunting horror/action from David Bowles, creepy Hannukah horror from Sarah Stegall, Christmas pervy horror from PJ Hoover, SAW-like Christmas survival/puzzle horror from In Churl Yo, autumnal coming-of-age ghost horror from Michael Aronovitz, sad, dreadful, druidic Christmas tree horror from Sam Knight, gothic werewolf/Krampus action horror from Stephen D Sullivan, Christmas science fiction bio-horror from David Boop, and Jersey-accented Santa action horror from John Helfers. Join us-- and be sure and pick up our other volume(s) on the way out

We've reached out to the finest minds in horror, from best-selling authors to fresh new voices, to bring you a collection of stories to chill the blood. Join us as we explore Hawaiian myth and intrigue from Jessica Lee Anderson, sexy, contemporary vampire horror from Dark Shadows star and author Lara Parker, zombie mystery horror from New York Times Best Seller Kevin J Anderson, Mexican mythology horror from David Bowles, grim sci-fi horror from PJ Hoover, home invasion terror from Jason Henderson (that's me), Gothic horror from Leanna Renee Hieber, spooky American ghost horror from Michael Aronovitz, survivalist horror from Tom Waltz, demonic family horror from Tony Bloodworth, Central American folklore horror from Julia Guzman, hilariously dark genie horror from Mario Acevedo, strange, mind-blowing mythology horror from Guadalupe Garcia McCall, demonic desert family horror from Barry Barclay, and genre-bending science fiction horror from In Churl Yo.

A historical novel based on real life characters and events during the early days of the Republic of Texas. Texas in 1841 was a sovereign state, bordered by Mexico and hostile Indian Territory. Texas Ranger William "Will" Smith gives up ranging after the Battle of Plum Creek and settles in Austin near his family. Will's brother, Judge James W. Smith is murdered by Comanche Indians who also abduct his son, Fayette. Will sets out alone along the treacherous Comanche Trace to find his nephew and avenge his brother's death. A premonition during his pursuit sends Will to Santa Fe where the locals assume Will is a spy for President Lamar's well-publicized Santa Fe Expedition. The Mexican Territorial Governor posts a bounty for him: dead or alive. Texas sympathizers John Rowland, William Workman, and W. G. Dryden have befriended Will and help plan his escape, but not before Will falls in love with John Rowland's niece, Bella. Fayette is on a parallel journey with Will. The nine-year-old attempts to escape several times, but fails, and the Indians ultimately trade him for horses. Fayette is reunited with his family in the fall of 1842 and becomes a successful merchant, living a good life until his death in Navasota, Texas in 1906.

When Carol and Johnny learn of the Ollamat, an ancient stone that can channel savage magic, they convince their parents to take them to the cloud forests of Oaxaca. With Pingo's help, they search for the legendary city where it has been protected for a thousand years. But the twins aren't the only ones hunting for the Ollamat. After it is stolen, they must travel through an emerald mirror into the beautiful yet dangerous Tlalocan: the paradise of the rain god. To retrieve the stone, they must face talking apes and forest elementals, rock worms and vicious elves, demons of lightning and something even more unexpected: the souls of people they have watched die. As always, they are aided by allies old and new, though nothing can quite prepare them for the biggest foe of all - a member of their very family.

When Carol and Johnny learn of the Ollamat, an ancient stone that can channel savage magic, they convince their parents to take them to the cloud forests of Oaxaca. With Pingo's help, they search for the legendary city where it has been protected for a thousand years. But the twins aren't the only ones hunting for the Ollamat. After it is stolen, they must travel through an emerald mirror into the beautiful yet dangerous Tlalocan: the paradise of the rain god. To retrieve the stone, they must face talking apes and forest elementals, rock worms and vicious elves, demons of lightning and something even more unexpected: the souls of people they have watched die. As always, they are aided by allies old and new, though nothing can quite prepare them for the biggest foe of all - a member of their very family.

The stories in Feathered Serpent, Dark Heart of Sky trace the history of the world from its beginnings in the dreams of the dual god, Ometeotl, to the arrival of the Spanish conquistadors in Mexico and the fall of the great city Tenochtitlan. In this book’s beautiful language, we learn the history of the Creator Twins? Feathered Serpent and Dark Heart of Sky?and how they built the world on a leviathan's back; of the shape-shifting nahualli; and the aluxes, elfish beings known to help out the occasional wanderer. And finally, we read Aztec tales about the arrival of the blonde strangers from across the sea, the strangers who seek to upend the rule of Moctezuma and destroy the very stories we are reading. David Bowles stitches together the fragmented folklore and mythology of pre-Colombian Mexico into an exciting, unified narrative in the tradition of William Buck's Ramayana, Robert Fagles's Iliad, and Neil Gaiman's Norse Myths. Readers of Norse and Greek mythologies will delight in this rich retelling of stories less explored. These tales hold a touch of magical realism while holding true to their meanings and their Indigenous roots. Legends and myths captured David Bowles's imagination as a young Latino reader; he was fascinated with epics like the Iliad and the Odyssey. Despite growing up on the United States/Mexico border, he had never read a single Aztec or Mayan myth until he was in college. This experience inspired him to reconnect with that forgotten past. He is currently working on adapting stories from Feathered Serpent, Dark Heart of Sky for a younger audience with the middle grade graphic novel series Tales of the Feathered Serpent. The first installment, Rise of the Halfling King tells the story of the dwarf king of Uxmal. Several of his previous books have also incorporated themes from Mexican myths that are told throughout generations such as the middle grade graphic novel, The Chupacabras of the Rio Grande (The Unicorn Rescue Series) which includes the infamous chupacabra, a creature from Latin American folklore that sucks the blood of livestock, goats, and even people. His other works include They Call Me Guero: A Border Kid’s Poems which won the Pura Belpré Honor award, the TIL Best Middle Grade Book award, the Tomás Rivera award, and numerous other honors.

The stories in Feathered Serpent, Dark Heart of Sky trace the history of the world from its beginnings in the dreams of the dual god, Ometeotl, to the arrival of the Spanish conquistadors in Mexico and the fall of the great city Tenochtitlan. In the course of that history we learn about the Creator Twins—Feathered Serpent and Dark Heart of Sky—and how they built the world on a leviathan's back; of the shape-shifting nahualli; and the aluxes, elfish beings known to help out the occasional wanderer. And finally, we read Aztec tales about the arrival of the blonde strangers from across the sea, the strangers who seek to upend the rule of Motecuhzoma and destroy the very stories we are reading. David Bowles stitches together the fragmented mythology of pre-Colombian Mexico into an exciting, unified narrative in the tradition of William Buck's Ramayana, Robert Fagles's Iliad, and Neil Gaiman's Norse Myths. Readers of Norse and Greek mythologies will delight in this rich retelling of stories less explored. Legends and myths captured David Bowles's imagination as a young Latino reader; he was fascinated with epics like the Iliad and the Odyssey. Despite growing up on the United States/Mexico border, he had never read a single Aztec or Mayan myth until he was in college. This experience inspired him to reconnect with that forgotten past. Several of his previous books have incorporated themes from ancient Mexican myths.

Tradition meets tragedy in the chilling local lore of the Rio Grande Valley. Hidden in the dense brush and around oxbow lakes wait sinister secrets, unnerving vestiges of the past and wraiths of those claimed by the winding river. The spirit of a murdered student in Brownsville paces the locker room where she met her end. Tortured souls of patients lost in the Harlingen Insane Asylum refuse to be forgotten. Guests at the LaBorde Hotel in Rio Grande City report visions of the Red Lady, who was spurned by the soldier she loved and driven to suicide. Author David Bowles explores these and more of the most harrowing ghost stories from Fort Brown to Fort Ringgold and all the haunted hotels, chapels and ruins in between.

Tradition meets tragedy in the chilling local lore of the Rio Grande Valley. Hidden in the dense brush and around oxbow lakes wait sinister secrets, unnerving vestiges of the past and wraiths of those claimed by the winding river. The spirit of a murdered

Who protects our precious fields of corn? What leaps from the darkness when you least suspect it? Which spirit waits for little kids by rivers and lakes? From the ahuizotl to the xocoyoles-and all the imps, ghosts and witches in between-this illustrated bilingual encyclopedia tells you just what you need to know about the things that go bump in the night in Mexico and the US Southwest. Qui n protege nuestras milpas preciosas? Qu cosa salta de la oscuridad cuando menos te lo esperes? Cu l esp ritu acecha a los peque os cerca de los r os y los lagos? Desde el ahuizotl a los xocoyoles-y dem s diablillos, fantasmas y brujas-esta enciclopedia ilustrada biling e te dice justo lo que debes saber sobre las cosas que dan miedo en M xico y en el suroeste de los Estados Unidos.