Vale’s dad is a folklorist and her mom a geoscientist. Although Vale, 12, enjoys Papi’s stories, trekking near their Colombian home with him and her younger brother, Julián, in search of a patasola, a one-legged woman who sucks her victims’ blood (“Kind of like a vampire, but cooler”) isn’t her idea of a good time even before an earthquake strikes and Papi is injured. Vale and Julián set off to get help and end up in Tierra de los Olvidados, Land of the Forgotten. They quickly learn that humans and the inhabitants there once moved freely back and forth between their mirrored worlds, but human greed and exploitation, culminating in the kidnapping of the ruler Madremonte’s young son, led to human banishment. It’s a mystery how Vale and Julián got past the border seals between worlds, but now they’re trapped and must journey to Madremonte’s castle and convince her to help them. They are met with helpfulness and suspicion in equal measure by various inhabitants of Tierra de los Olvidados, including a witch, a dragon, talking forest animals, and other beings. Vale and Julián repeatedly prove they’re worthy of trust, but their quest gets more treacherous the closer they get to their destination. Vale’s such an appealing protagonist—a kid who loves her family and wants to be an artist—thrust into extraordinary circumstances. Along with the vividly realized Colombian-inspired setting, swiftly paced storytelling, and satisfying plot resolution connecting present and past, it makes for a rewarding fantasy adventure. (Ages 8-12)

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 Bogotá 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 Julián get dragged along on another magical creature hunt.

While they’re in the Andes, a powerful earthquake hits. Valentina and Julián fall through the earth…and find an alternate Colombia where, to Valentina’s shock, all the legends are real.

To get home, Valentina and Julián 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.