Pilar Ramirez and the Curse of San Zenon (#2)

The Land of Stories meets Dominican mythology in this stellar conclusion to the Pilar Ramirez contemporary middle-grade fantasy duology.

After being transported to the mythical island of Zafa and rescuing her long-captive cousin Natasha, Pilar is back in Chicago . . . and hiding the shocking truth about Zafa and about Natasha being alive. So when she and her family are invited on a trip to Santo Domingo, Pilar welcomes the distraction and the chance to see the Dominican Republic for the first time.

But when Ciguapa and close friend Carmen appears in the DR searching for help, Pilar is soon on the hunt for the escaped demon El Baca and his mysterious new ally. Now, with a cursed storm gathering over the island to resurrect an ancient enemy, Pilar will have to harness her bruja powers if she has any hope of saving her own world, Zafa, and her family before the clock runs out and ushers in a new era of evil.

Julian Randall is a Living Queer Black poet from Chicago. His poetry and essays are published in the New York Times Magazine, POETRY, The Atlantic, and Vibe. He is the recipient of a Pushcart Prize. Julian holds an MFA in Poetry from Ole Miss. His first book, Refuse, won the Cave Canem Poetry Prize and was a finalist for an NAACP Image Award. He was also a contributor to the #1 New York Times-bestseller Black Boy Joy. Julian has previously worked as a youth mentor, teaching writing workshops to children on house arrest. Pilar Ramirez and the Escape from Zafa is his debut children's novel