LAS MUSAS BOOK BIRTHDAY - The Child King of Uxmal

Today we celebrate the book birthday of The Child King of Uxmal, the third book in Karla Arenas Valenti's exciting "Legendarios" series. We sat down with Musa Karla to learn more about this book.

Emma and Martín swap the cool Chicago fall for the hot jungles of the Puuc Hills when they dive into the myth of the Child King of Uxmal. There, they meet Nicte the healer. Nicte is determined to save her village from constant droughts and the burden of their ruthless king. She’s following rumors of a prophecy, which leads her to three strange items: a giant egg and a drum and rattle that will only play for the rightful king of Uxmal.

Emma and Martín are eager to help Nicte follow the prophecy when they are yanked out of the jungle—and discover that there’s a page missing from their book! Can the twins find a way back into the legend to save Nicte’s village, or is this the end of the story?

Sounds exciting! Read more after the link...

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How would you describe your main characters?
Emma and Martín are 9 year-old twins. Physically, Emma takes after her gringo Dad: she's fair-skinned, blond, tall, and lanky. Martín takes after Mami with his darker skin, curly hair, and short, stocky build. Personality-wise, Emma is an avid reader of detective stories and loves solving mysteries. She was very social when they lived in Mexico but has unexpectedly become rather shy now that they have moved to the US. Her brother, on the other hand, has fully embraced his new home, making lots of friends. One thing that hasn't changed is that Emma continues to be the "brave one' while Martín is a bit of a 'scaredy cat.'

Did you use a mentor text for your story?
The "Legendarios" books are all based on different Mexican legends. I use a number of sources when I'm researching legends and usually end up settling for a mix of all. As for the books themselves, I read a lot of "Magic Tree House" and "Heroes in Training" to familiarize myself with the chapter book story structure I wanted to follow. I also love "Definitely Dominguita" by fellow Musa Terry Catasus Jennings.

What three words would you use to describe your book?
Exciting, Intriguing, Awesomely-Illustrated (by the very talented Vanessa Morales!)
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Karla Arenas Valenti grew up in Mexico City in a house built around a tree. Her life was always filled with elements of the fantastical which she readily incorporates into her storytelling, taking readers on journeys steeped in magical realism. 

Karla writes middle grade novels (including the best-selling and highly-acclaimed Lotería), and  the upcoming magical realist adventure Lola. Karla is the author of the exciting Legendarios series and writes for the Hispanic Stars biography series. She also writes various picture books.

Karla’s stories are heavily influenced by her Mexican heritage and layered with ideas and concepts she’s picked up in her many travels  around the world.

Karla currently resides in the Chicagoland area with her husband and three kids, two cats, and hundreds of books. To book an author visit or learn more about Karla, visit www.KarlaValenti.com.

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