"Ten-year-old Lola has always been touched by magic. Her Mexico City home is built around a towering tree with enchanted blooms that change each season, a backyard sandbox that reveals the most unusual treasures, and mischievous chaneques that scuttle about unseen by all but her. Lola has always considered such magic an ordinary part of life, but now she must embrace the extraordinary as never before. Ever since The Thing That Happened, Lola's brother, Alex, has been sick. As his condition worsens, something is eating away at the tree, causing its bright leaves and colorful blossoms to crumble like ash. Lola is sure the two events are related, but how? Seeking a cure, she visits a grocery store oracle who tells her to follow the chaneques down one of their secret passages... into a hidden kingdom. Floresta is a land of myths and monsters and marvels untold. It also holds the key to healing Alex. But to save him, Lola must use all her wits and face her deepest fears. Only then can she uncover the astonishing truth at the heart of her own story." -- Book jacket.
Note
"Pura Belpré Award"--sticker on front cover. "This is a Borzoi Book"--Title page verso.
Audience
Ages 8-12. Alfred A. Knopf. Ages 9-12. CLCD.
Awards
Pura Belpre Award: Children & Illustration, 2025. American Library Association Notable Children's Books, 2025
