4th grade books
4th grade reading books
5th grade books
5th grade reading books
A01=Karla Arenas Valenti
adventure books
adventure books for boys 9-12
adventure books for girls 9-12
Author_Karla Arenas Valenti
aztec
aztec mythology
books for 10 year old boys
books for 10 year old girls
books for 11 year old girls
books for 12 year old girls
books for 8 year old boys
books for 8 year old girls
books for 9 year old boys
books for 9 year old girls
Category=YFJ
eq_bestseller
eq_childrens
eq_isMigrated=1
eq_isMigrated=2
eq_nobargain
eq_teenage-young-adult
fables
folk tales
folk tales for children
folklore
folktales
forthcoming
girls books ages 9-12
mayan
mayan mythology
Product details
- ISBN 9798217028931
- Dimensions: 140 x 210mm
- Publication Date: 01 Sep 2026
- Publisher: Random House USA Inc
- Publication City/Country: US
- Product Form: Hardback
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From the Pura Belpré Award–winning author of Lola comes an action-packed middle grade fantasy where Aztec mythology crashes into everyday life. When twelve-year old Diego discovers ancient gods are real, he must journey into a deadly labyrinth to stop a vengeful power before it destroys the world.
Diego never believed his abuelo's stories of gods and monsters and the ancient magic woven through Mexican history. Not until he finds himself sprinting down a dark hallway, chased by a beast straight out of lore—its fur as coarse as iron and five human hands clawing furiously at his throat.
Turns out, the myths are real, and their magic is erupting into Diego's world. As shadowy creatures besiege his apartment, abuelo's dog Cholo fixes Diego with a human gaze and speaks. Cholo reveals they've been unwittingly ensnared in a centuries-old rivalry between the great God Quetzal and his ruthless brother Tezca. Tezca is rising, summoning an army of minions, while Quetzal, the only one strong enough to stop him, has vanished.
Humanity hangs by a thread, and Diego has no choice but to enter Quetzal’s labyrinth—accompanied by his friends Violeta and Cholo, a sassy rubber chicken, and a bloodthirsty kitten—to face a power older than civilization itself.
The stakes are legendary, but maybe, deep down, Diego is too.
Diego never believed his abuelo's stories of gods and monsters and the ancient magic woven through Mexican history. Not until he finds himself sprinting down a dark hallway, chased by a beast straight out of lore—its fur as coarse as iron and five human hands clawing furiously at his throat.
Turns out, the myths are real, and their magic is erupting into Diego's world. As shadowy creatures besiege his apartment, abuelo's dog Cholo fixes Diego with a human gaze and speaks. Cholo reveals they've been unwittingly ensnared in a centuries-old rivalry between the great God Quetzal and his ruthless brother Tezca. Tezca is rising, summoning an army of minions, while Quetzal, the only one strong enough to stop him, has vanished.
Humanity hangs by a thread, and Diego has no choice but to enter Quetzal’s labyrinth—accompanied by his friends Violeta and Cholo, a sassy rubber chicken, and a bloodthirsty kitten—to face a power older than civilization itself.
The stakes are legendary, but maybe, deep down, Diego is too.
Karla Arenas Valenti grew up in Mexico City in a house built around a tree. Her childhood was filled with fantastical elements, which she incorporates into her books—taking readers on journeys steeped in magical realism, fantasy, and big philosophical questions. Karla is the recipient of the Pura Belpré Award, and her middle grade novels Lola and Lotería have received a combined seven starred reviews. She currently resides in the Chicagoland area with her husband and three kids, two cats, and hundreds of books.
