Zoraida Córdova

Zoraida Córdova is the author of nine fantasy novels for kids and teens, most recently the Brooklyn Brujas series, Incendiary, and Star Wars: A Crash of Fate. Her short fiction has appeared in the New York Times bestselling anthology Star Wars: From a Certain Point of View, Come on In: 15 Stories About Immigration and Finding Home, and Toil & Trouble: 15 Tales of Women and Witchcraft. She is the co-editor of Vampires Never Get Old: Eleven Tales with Fresh Bite. In Cordova’s debut middle grade novel The Way to Rio Luna (Scholastic Inc.) eleven-year-old Danny Monteverde believes in magic, pixie dust and rabbit holes lead to Wonderland. Most of all, he believes that his older sister, Pili, is waiting for him somewhere in Rio Luna, the enchanted land in their favorite book of fairy tales. When the siblings were placed in separate foster homes, she promised that she’d come back for him, and they’d build a new life together in Rio Luna. As the years pass, Danny’s faith begins to dim. But just when he thinks it might be time to put fairy tales behind him, he finds a collection of stories that contain hints about how to reach another world. A map to Rio Luna and to Pili. School Library Journal said that “With its diverse, fully-realized cast of characters and inventive world-building, this complex adventure quest is a rare treat for fantasy lovers and those who believe in magic.”