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Every morning, 12 year-old Lucía scales the massive Sombra Trees that shroud Coquí Island in darkness in search of their rare medicinal fruit.

 

Her secret advantage is a parrot named Malo with a sharp sense of smell and a sharper tongue.

 

But when her grandmother’s health deteriorates and the fruit grows scarce, Lucía ventures into a foggy labyrinth where even the most nimble climbers vanish.

 

When shady characters follow her and seize Malo, Lucía must use her wits to pull off her riskiest venture yet: escaping with her life.

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Release Date: Summer 2027

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Art by Molly Clasen

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Pagán Photo Credit to Justin McRobert.jpg

​Photo by Justin McRobert

SHORT BIO

Darlene Pagán is the author of a middle grade novel, Lucía and the Sombra Trees (forthcoming 2027), and award-winning essays and poems, including a full-length collection, Setting the Fires (Airlie Press 2015), which was nominated for the Eric Hoffer Award. Her work reflects her deep interest in identity, language, culture, family, disability, and the environment. She earned a BA and MA in English and a PhD in the Humanities and currently teaches at Pacific University in Oregon, though she also teaches workshops in art and writing to children in schools and libraries, and to adults in varied settings. She lives in the Willamette Valley with her family and four cats and where she spends as much time as she can in the woods.

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LONGER BIO

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​FAVORITES

 

Favorite Colors: Blue and Purple

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Favorite Planet: Neptune

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Favorite Constellation: Orion’s Belt

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Favorite Forest: El Yunque Rainforest, Puerto Rico

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Favorite Animal: Coquí

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Favorite Fruit: Blueberries and Mango

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Favorite Food: Vegetarian Pho

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Favorite Puerto Rican Food: Pasteles

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Favorite Dessert: Tembleque (coconut pudding)

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Favorite Candy: Chocolate

 

Favorite Place: Forests

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Favorite Weather: Rain

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Favorite Middle Grade Novels:

  • The Girl and The Ghost, Hannah Alkaf

  • A Wish in the Dark, Christine Soontornvat

  • Skullduggery Pleasant Series, Derek Landy

  • The Thing About Jellyfish, Ali Benjamin

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Favorite YA Novels:

  • The Marrow Thieves, Cherie Dimaline

  • The Bear and the Nightingale, Katherine Arden

  • They Both Die at the End, Adam Silvera

  • Anything by Laura Ruby

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Favorite Adult Books:

  • The House of the Spirits, Isabel Allende (novel)

  • The Rock Eaters, Brenda Peynado (short stories)

  • The Soul of an Octopus, Sy Montgomery (nonfiction)

  • There, There, Tommy Orange (novel)

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