{"product_id":"pilar-ramirez-and-the-escape-from-zafa-9781250774101","title":"Pilar Ramirez and the Escape from Zafa","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Land of Stories\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003e meets Dominican myths and legends come to life in \u003ci\u003ePilar Ramirez and the Escape from Zafa\u003c\/i\u003e, a blockbuster contemporary middle-grade fantasy duology starter from Julian Randall. Fans of \u003ci\u003eTristan Strong \u003c\/i\u003eand \u003ci\u003eThe Storm Runner\u003c\/i\u003e, here is your next obsession. \u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \"A breathtaking journey . . . readers better hold on tight.\" --Kwame Mbalia, \u003ci\u003eNew York Times \u003c\/i\u003ebestselling author of the Tristan Strong series \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e Twelve-year-old Pilar Violeta \"Purp\" Ramirez's world is changing, and she doesn't care for it one bit. Her Chicago neighborhood is gentrifying and her chores have doubled since her sister, Lorena, left for college. The only constant is Abuela and Mami's code of silence around her cousin Natasha--who vanished in the Dominican Republic fifty years ago during the Trujillo dictatorship. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e When Pilar hears that Lorena's professor studies such disappearances, she hops on the next train to dig deeper into her family's mystery. After snooping around the professor's empty office, she discovers a folder with her cousin's name on it . . . and gets sucked into the blank page within. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e She lands on Zafa, an island swarming with coconut-shaped demons, butterfly shapeshifters, and a sinister magical prison where her cousin is being held captive. Pilar will have to go toe-to-toe with the fearsome Dominican boogeyman, El Cuco, if she has any hope of freeing Natasha and getting back home. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cb\u003e\"Magic awaits around every corner in Zafa. Nonstop action and plenty of heart create a story worth escaping into.\" --\u003c\/b\u003e\u003ci\u003eKirkus Reviews\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cb\u003e, starred review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eJulian Randall\u003c\/b\u003e is a Living Queer Black poet from Chicago. His poetry and essays are published in the \u003ci\u003eNew York Times Magazine\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003e POETRY, \u003c\/i\u003e \u003ci\u003eThe Atlantic\u003c\/i\u003e, and \u003ci\u003eVibe\u003c\/i\u003e. He is the recipient of a Pushcart Prize. Julian holds an MFA in Poetry from Ole Miss. His first book, \u003ci\u003eRefuse\u003c\/i\u003e, won the Cave Canem Poetry Prize and was a finalist for an NAACP Image Award. He was also a contributor to the #1 \u003ci\u003eNew York Times-\u003c\/i\u003ebestseller \u003ci\u003eBlack Boy Joy\u003c\/i\u003e. Julian has previously worked as a youth mentor, teaching writing workshops to children on house arrest. \u003ci\u003ePilar Ramirez and the Escape from Zafa \u003c\/i\u003eis his debut children's novel.\u003cb\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e","brand":"Henry Holt \u0026 Company","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50613568340242,"sku":"9781250774101","price":12.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_4e075764-700e-4302-8d99-5819a2aca48a.jpg?v=1732408534","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/pilar-ramirez-and-the-escape-from-zafa-9781250774101","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}