by Pam Muñoz Ryan
Scholastic Press
3/3/20, hardcover
SKU: 9781338157864
Maximiliano Córdoba loves stories, especially the legend Buelo tells him about a mythical gatekeeper who can guide brave travelers on a journey into tomorrow.
If Max could see tomorrow, he would know if he'd make Santa Maria's celebrated fútbol team and whether he'd ever meet his mother, who disappeared when he was a baby. He longs to know more about her, but Papá won't talk. So when Max uncovers a buried family secret--involving an underground network of guardians who lead people fleeing a neighboring country to safety--he decides to seek answers on his own.
With a treasured compass, a mysterious stone rubbing, and Buelo's legend as his only guides, he sets out on a perilous quest to discover if he is true of heart and what the future holds.
This timeless tale of struggle, hope, and the search for tomorrow has much to offer today about compassion and our shared humanity.
Target Age: 8 to 12
Reviews:
Ryan has created a world of enchantment that is both innately familiar and uniquely magical... Readers will be led into every rocky corner and wondrous ledge of Ryan's world through her vivid use of imagery, which keeps readers present on every page. She weaves so much relevant lyricism into this small, meaningful volume... Mañanaland manages to be both timely and timeless. -- New York Times
A richly satisfying novel that is both contemporary and timeless... The author seamlessly weaves into Max's journey important themes about asylum seekers and the people who help them. -- Shelf Awareness, starred review
About the Author:
Pam Muñoz Ryan is the recipient of the Newbery Honor Medal and the Kirkus Prize for her New York Times bestselling novel, Echo, as well as the NEA's Human and Civil Rights Award and the Virginia Hamilton Literary Award for multicultural literature for her body of work. Her celebrated novels, Echo, Esperanza Rising, The Dreamer, Riding Freedom, Becoming Naomi Léon, and Paint the Wind, have received countless accolades, among them two Pura Belpré Awards, a NAPPA Gold Award, a Jane Addams Children's Book Award, and two Américas Awards. Her acclaimed picture books include Amelia and Eleanor Go for a Ride and When Marian Sang, both illustrated by Brian Selznick, and Tony Baloney, illustrated by Edwin Fotheringham, as well as a beginning reader series featuring Tony Baloney.