Science-obsessed Paola Santiago is at it again in this sequel to Paola Santiago and the River of Tears,Tehlor Kay Mejia’s critically acclaimed own-voices novel. Drawing on her Mexican heritage Mejia has created a compelling follow up for middle grade readers with the brilliant Paola once again sorting through mythical ghost stories and superstitions that she has grown up with.
Six months after Paola Santiago confronted the legendary La Llorona, life is nothing like she’d expected it to be. She is barely speaking to her best friends, Dante and Emma, and what’s worse, her mom has a totally annoying boyfriend. Even with her chupacabra puppy, Bruto, around, Pao can’t escape the feeling that she’s all alone in the world. Pao has no one to tell that she’s having nightmares again, this time set in a terrifying forest. Even more troubling? At their center is her estranged father, an enigma of a man she barely remembers. And when Dante’s abuela falls mysteriously ill, it seems that the dad Pao never knew just might be the key to healing the eccentric old woman. Pao’s search for her father will send her far from home, where she will encounter new monsters and ghosts, a devastating betrayal, and finally, the forest of her nightmares. Will the truths her father has been hiding save the people Pao loves, or destroy them?
JOIN TEHLOR KAY MEJIA’S ON TUESDAY, AUGUST 3RD AS SHE DISCUSSES PAOLA SANTIAGO AND THE FOREST OF NIGHTMARES. SHE WILL ANSWER QUESTIONS LIKE:
What makes Paola a heroine for today’s middle grade reader?
What can we learn from the mythology of diverse cultures?
Where does your interest in ghosts and word folklore come from?
Is Paola Santiago anything like you? Were you obsessed with Science or Space as a young girl?
You describe yourself as a poet, artist, and writer, which comes first?
Any plans for Paola Santiago to make it to the big screen?
About the author: Tehlor Kay Mejia is an Oregon native in love with the alpine meadows and evergreen forests of her home state, where she lives with her daughter. When she’s not writing, you can find her plucking at her guitar, stealing rosemary sprigs from overgrown gardens, or trying to make the perfect vegan tamale. She is the author of Paola Santiago and the River of Tears and the YA fantasy novels We Set the Dark on Fire and We Unleash the Merciless Storm. Follow her @tehlorkay on IG and Twitter
