Omega Morales and the Legend of La Lechuza (Omega Morales #1)

by Laekan Zea Kemp (Author)

Reading Level: 4th − 5th Grade
Series: Omega Morales

Fans of The Girl Who Drank the Moon, Paola Santiago and the River of Tears, and Disney's Encanto will be captivated by this fantastical novel about a girl who must learn to trust her ancestral powers when she comes face-to-face with the Mexican legend La Lechuza.

Omega Morales's family has been practicing magic for centuries in Noche Buena. But over the years, the town's reputation for the supernatural is no longer one the people carry with pride. So Omega's family keeps to themselves, and in private, they're Empaths--diviners who can read and manipulate the emotions of people and objects around them. But Omega's powers don't quite work, and it leaves her feeling like an outsider in her own family. When a witch with the power to transform herself into an owl--known in Mexican folklore as La Lechuza--shows up unannounced, Omega, her best friend Clau (who happens to be a ghost), and her cousin Carlitos must conduct a séance under a full moon in order to unravel the mystery of the legend.

Suddenly Omega's magic begins to change, and the key to understanding her powers is more complicated than she thought. Omega will have to decide what's more important--trusting the instincts of others or learning to trust in herself.

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Kirkus

Readers will be eager to discover what Omega does next and to unveil more of the magical world of Noche Buena. A satisfying mystery with depths to plumb.

ALA/Booklist

The illustrations and Spanish text sprinkled throughout help to enhance the story and reel in the reader. This title would be a perfect choice for those who enjoyed Lotería (2021), by Karla Arenas Valenti.

None

Kemp's middle-grade debut is an entertaining, sometimes frightening, and thought-provoking story that comments on generational trauma, bullying, friendship, and family. Readers will relate to Omega's struggles to trust herself in difficult situations.

Review quotes



Laekan Zea Kemp
Laekan Zea Kemp is the Pura Belpré Honor author of Somewhere Between Bitter and Sweet and other young adult novels, as well as a middle grade series and picture books. She lives in Austin, Texas. Laekan invites you to visit her at laekanzeakemp.com or follow her on social media @LaekanZeaKemp.
Classification
Fiction
ISBN-13
9780316304313
Lexile Measure
-
Guided Reading Level
-
Publisher
Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Publication date
September 05, 2023
Series
Omega Morales
BISAC categories
JUV013030 - Juvenile Fiction | Family | Multigenerational
JUV037000 - Juvenile Fiction | Fantasy & Magic
JUV058000 - Juvenile Fiction | Paranormal, Occult & Supernatural
JUV011030 - Juvenile Fiction | People & Places | United States - Hispanic & Latino
JUV012070 - Juvenile Fiction | Legends, Myths, Fables | Caribbean & Latin American
Library of Congress categories
Magic
Family life
Emotions
Witches
Supernatural
Paranormal fiction
Hispanic Americans
Empathy
Novels

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