MISCHIEF AND MONSTERS

A boy stumbles upon mythical creatures and uncovers a nefarious plot brewing in his Texas hometown.

Twelve-year-old Jordi Acosta wasn’t ready for puberty to make him significantly taller and heavier than his classmates. The self-conscious sixth grader strives to avoid attracting extra attention. He’s a quiet, witty, and likable protagonist—a sweet kid who’s content sharing riddles with his Cuban immigrant Abuelito and watching bestie Ximena Morales speak out on important issues like book banning. This spring break, instead of helping at Papi’s carpentry shop, he’ll be working at the refuge run by his wildlife biologist mother. Jordi expects it to be boring—but then he has a heart-pounding run-in with the gigantic, legendary, and surprisingly relatable Rey, the Bear King, who turns out to be gentle and playful despite his size, just like Jordi himself. Mami confesses that she’s secretly been hiding cryptids—creatures drawn from Latine and Texan folklore—on the wildlife refuge to keep them safe from those who may wish to harm them. Soon, Jordi and his friends discover that a ruthless natural gas company has been damaging property to incentivize landowners to sell, while setting up the cryptids to take the blame. Danger, suspense and surprise twists ensue as Jordi forces himself to both use his physical stature and find his voice in order to protect his friends—human and cryptid alike.

A funny, heartwarming adventure about finding the courage to do what’s right.