The ancient evil spirits of La Llorona, the Wailing Woman of Aztec-Hispanic tradition; the hell that lies within Pancho Villa’s treasure caves; the restless ghost of a Chinese girl whose body was tragically lost, of a dead man out to reclaim his shoes, of a Japanese lady whose ashes were carelessly tossed in a cactus patch are but a handful of the terrifying stories in this collection of ghost tales from the U.S.-Mexico border.
“These 21 Mexican folk tales of the ‘new Southwest’ have one thing in common—they’re uncommonly creepy. Short and punchy, these tales will be easy to book talk, and the relaxed, conversational tone of the text lends itself to reading and telling aloud.”—Booklist
These deliciously gory tales are recounted by the talented, renowned storyteller ALFRED AVILA, who has salvaged these stories from disappearing forever. He is perhaps one of the last in a long line of tall-tale specialists in the Mexican tradition of the Southwest. Not only has he remembered these stories from his childhood, but he has translated their essence into equally shocking images in the illustrations he has created for this book. And the present generation is pitching in to make sure that this valuable segment of American tradition is not lost.
KAT AVILA, his college-educated daughter, has rendered vivid and precise translations of her father’s originals. Here at last is a rich heritage that will take its place beside the headless horseman and the many other tales from Anglo-American tradition that have honored bookshelves, nights around the campfire and Halloween recountings.
ATOS Interest Level: Middle Grades
Category: Young Adult
