Thea and the Mischief Makers
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- $11.99
Publisher Description
In this magical adventure that's perfect for fans of Lisa Yee and Erin Entrada Kelly, star athlete Thea must face her worst fears when two mischievous duwendes, Filipino goblins, threaten to wreak havoc on her life—and destroy her town.
Thea gets a chance to begin anew at Pacific Academy. There, she’s a star athlete, someone with friends and popularity.
But disaster strikes at Junior Stunt Warrior summer camp with her new friends: Her extremely uncool former best friend, Evan, shows up too, and she discovers that stunt class is the one activity she’s not good at. Actually, it’s something she’s terrified of. It all reminds Thea of the shy, invisible version of herself she’s determined to leave behind.
Then, in the midst of building a practice obstacle course, Thea wrecks a tree that a pair of grumpy duwendes—Filipino goblins—call home. She’s shocked that not only are duwendes real, but the two in her backyard want revenge.
Now Thea must team up with friends new and old to fend off the duwendes before they destroy her entire neighborhood. But can she pull it off while saving her cool-girl image, too?
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
With her friends Brooklyn, who is Black, and white-cued Rex, Filipino American Thea Torres is attending Junior Stunt Warrior Camp, which is sponsored by the athletic competition show Stunt Warrior. When her former friend, Mexican American Evan, arrives, Thea is embarrassed by his lack of awareness surrounding social cues. At camp, she's one of the popular kids, and being around Evan is affecting her reputation. Yet his presence might be the least of her worries; unfortunately for Thea—and her street cred—she isn't very good at the Stunt Warrior challenges. At home, her father warns her about creatures called duwendes that live in trees. But Thea ignores his warning and cuts down the calamansi tree in their backyard to build a Stunt Warrior practice course. Soon, she's approached by duwendes Dante and Dora, who give Thea one week to come up with a genuine apology or they will destroy her neighborhood. Desperate, Thea enlists Evan to help her stop the creatures. Both Thea and Evan's personal insecurities surrounding their respective eagerness to fit in or be themselves are palpable throughout Thea's sensitively wrought first-person narration. Badua (The Cookie Crumbles) elevates an otherwise staid tale by infusing it with Filipino myth, making for an uplifting fantasy adventure. Ages 8–12.
