Lei And The Fire Goddess by Malia Maunakea - ESSENTIAL

Lei And The Fire Goddess by Malia Maunakea, 298 pages. Penguin Workshop, 2023. $18      

Language: G (0 swears, 0 ‘f’); Mature Content: G; Violence: PG (some fighting, not described in detail).

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - ESSENTIAL

AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH

12yo Anna goes from Colorado to Hawaii to visit her Tutu every summer for three weeks. During that stay, her Tutu tries to teach, and tell her the stories about her Hawaiian heritage. But Anna doesn't believe in that stuff anymore. Then she picks Pele's (the fire goddess) special 'ohi'a lehua flower and Pele's hawk comes and takes Kaipo, her best friend in Hawaii, away. Anna has to embark on a journey that takes her to the cave of a mo'o, and up the side of a volcano with a demigod to save her Tutu's house from the lava, and her best friend. With the wind at her side, and a talking bat, she learns to believe the stories her Tutu told her.

I liked how easy it was to get into the book. And it was a new experience for me, reading about Hawaiian Lore, it was cool. And it was a good amount of adventure and action. The characters were likable as well.    Anna is half Hawaiian.         

STUDENT REVIEWER E. Anderson 9^th grade