Fans of The Girl Who Drank the Moon, Paola Santiago and the River of Tears, and Disney's Encanto will be captivated by this fantastical novel about a girl who must learn to trust her ancestral powers when she comes face-to-face with the Mexican legend La Lechuza. Omega Morales’s family has been practicing magic for centuries in Noche Buena. But over the years, the town's reputation for the supernatural is no longer one the people carry with pride. So Omega’s family keeps to themselves, and in private, they’re Empaths: diviners who can read and manipulate the emotions of people and objects around them. But Omega’s powers don’t quite work, and it leaves her feeling like an outsider in her own family. When a witch with the power to transform herself into an owl—known in Mexican folklore as La Lechuza—shows up unannounced, Omega, her best friend Clau (who happens to be a ghost), and her cousin Carlitos must conduct a séance under a full moon in order to unravel the mystery of the legend. Suddenly Omega’s magic begins to change, and the key to understanding her powers is more complicated than she thought. Omega will have to decide what’s more important—trusting the instincts of others or learning to trust in herself. This spooky middle-grade debut is full of magic, adventure, friendship, and a captivating heroine who isn’t afraid of the monsters lurking around every corner—even the dangerous La Lechuza!

Classic Latin American folktales get an update in this new collection by celebrated author Liniers! Eisner Award winner Liniers brings his exuberant cartooning style and irrepressible sense of humor to the spooky folktales of his childhood, telling three from across Latin America: the Iara, a mermaid (or a pink dolphin?) who lures young men to her underwater domain in the Amazon basin; La Lechuza, an enormous owl with the face of a woman, who terrorizes people who venture out after dark (a legend found in Mexico, Chile, and Uruguay); and La Luz Mala, a spooky, evanescent light that menaces gauchos and other travelers on the Argentine pampas. Liniers animates these thrilling tales with lighthearted twists. Combined with informative backmatter on their ecological, cultural, and historical background and a bibliography, these old stories will come alive for all young readers, from those who have grown up hearing them to those who are encountering them for the first time.

I'm Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter meets Emergency Contact in this stunning Pura Belpré Honor Book about first love, familial expectations, the power of food, and finding where you belong. Penelope Prado has always dreamed of opening her own pastelería next to her father's restaurant, Nacho's Tacos. But her mom and dad have different plans—leaving Pen to choose between not disappointing her traditional Mexican American parents or following her own path. When she confesses a secret she's been keeping, her world is sent into a tailspin. But then she meets a cute new hire at Nacho's who sees through her hard exterior and asks the questions she's been too afraid to ask herself. Xander Amaro has been searching for home since he was a little boy. For him, a job at Nacho's is an opportunity for just that—a chance at a normal life, to settle in at his abuelo's, and to find the father who left him behind. But when both the restaurant and Xander's immigrant status are threatened, he will do whatever it takes to protect his newfound family and himself. Together, Pen and Xander must navigate first love and discovering where they belong in order to save the place they all call home. This stunning and poignant novel from debut author Laekan Zea Kemp explores identity, found families and the power of food, all nestled within a courageous and intensely loyal Chicanx community.

Clap When You Land meets On the Come Up in this heart-gripping story about navigating first love and overcoming grief through the power of music. Aarón Medrano has been haunted by the onstage persona of his favorite DJ ever since his mother passed away. He seems to know all of Aarón’s deepest fears, like how his brain doesn’t work the way it should and that’s why his brother and father seem to be pushing him away. He thinks his ticket out is a scholarship to the prestigious Acadia School of Music. That is, if he can avoid blowing his audition. Mia Villanueva has a haunting of her own and it’s the only family heirloom her parents left her: doubt. It’s the reason she can’t overcome her stage fright or believe that her music is worth making. Even though her trumpet teacher tells her she has a gift, she’s not sure if she’ll ever figure out how to use it or if she’s even deserving of it in the first place. When Aarón and Mia cross paths, Aarón sees a chance to get close to the girl he’s had a crush on for years and to finally feel connected to someone since losing his mother. Mia sees a chance to hold herself accountable by making them both face their fears, and hopefully make their dreams come true. But soon they’ll realize there’s something much scarier than getting up on stage—falling in love with a broken heart.

"Social criticism is woven into a fun read centered on kids of color. . . . An engaging, insightful adventure with a heartfelt conclusion." --Kirkus Reviews (starred review) Fourteen-year-old Andréa Hernández-Baldoquín hails from a family of spies working for the Factory, an international organization dedicated to protecting people of color. For her first solo mission, Andréa straightens her hair and goes undercover as Andrea Burke, a white girl, to befriend the estranged son of a dangerous white supremacist. In addition to her Factory training, the assignment calls for a deep dive into the son's interests--comic books and gaming--all while taking care not to speak Spanish and blow her family's cover. But it's hard to hide who you really are, especially when you develop a crush on your target's Latino best friend. Can Andréa keep her head, her geek cred, and her code-switching on track to trap a terrorist? This smart, entertaining, and politically astute novel is fast-paced upper-middle-grade fare from an established author of heist and espionage novels for adults, in a paperback edition offering discussion questions and an excerpt from the sequel in the back matter.

Yolanda sets out with family and friends to help her grandmother and discovers long-buried secrets about a family curse and the healing power of the magic surrounding her.

Fans of The Girl Who Drank the Moon and Paola Santiago and the River of Tears will root for Omega Morales in the second installment of the Omega Morales series, as she learns to trust her newfound powers when she comes face-to-face with the Mexican legend El Cucuy. After Omega discovers she can influence the emotions of supernatural creatures, she's certain she's strong enough to handle the feelings of others on Día de Muertos. But when darkness overwhelms her, it means she's more vulnerable than she realized--and even worse, there may be a new monster in her hometown. When a child goes missing at the cemetery, panic ensues, prompting the new sheriff to open an investigation. But then another child is taken. And another. Soon, with the help of Carlitos, Clau, and a magical emotional support animal, Omega uncovers that El Cucuy--the boogeyman--is responsible for the disappearances. And it doesn't take long for Omega to realize that, just like with La Lechuza, she may be the only one who can stop him. But at what cost? This goose bump-raising sequel to Omega Morales and the Legend of La Lechuza is packed with magic, myth, and a brave heroine who must confront her own fears to save her family....After all, what's scarier than El Cucuy?