David Bowles‘ Garza Twins series is an outstanding set of middle grade novels, set in our world where the mythology of central America is all too real. The protagonists – the shapeshifting twins Carol and Johnny – are Mexican-American, filling a much needed diversity gap in young teen reading. The first book of the series, The Smoking Mirror, won the prestigious ALA Belpré Honor, and is IFWG’s best selling book. Book 2, A Kingdom Beneath the Waves, has also received critical acclaim.
Next year we will be publishing Book 3, The Hidden City. We felt David’s many fans deserve a preview of this novel, so we have Chapter One reproduced below. We will soon reveal the cover.
Chapter One
“Okay, guys, that was my mom.” Carol leaned toward her monitor with a sad smile. “Time for bed, I guess.”
“What?” Jessica demanded from the Skype screen. “Dude, tomorrow is the last day of classes!”
“Exacto,” Itza agreed. “Piensa, güey—we’re not going to be at the same school anymore! Can’t she give you a little more time?”
Carol glanced at the little box where Nikki’s face stared out at her. The girl said nothing, but there was sadness all over her features.
Continue reading →