The Enchanted Life of Valentina Mejía

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.

Author: Alexandra Alessandri
Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers
Published: 02/21/2023
Pages: 224
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 0.7lbs
Size: 8.40h x 5.80w x 1.00d
ISBN: 9781665917056
Audience: Ages 9-12


Review Citation(s):
Kirkus Reviews 12/15/2022
Publishers Weekly 01/02/2023
Bulletin of Ctr for Child Bks 02/01/2023
Booklist 01/01/2023 pg. 74
Horn Book Magazine 03/01/2023 pg. 60

About the Author
Alexandra Alessandri is the award-winning author of The Enchanted Life of Valentina Mejía, Isabel and Her Colores Go to School, and Feliz New Year, Ava Gabriela!. The daughter of Colombian immigrants, she is also a former associate professor of English, a writer for Curriculum Associates, and a poet. Alexandra lives in Florida with her husband and son.