Lei and the Fire Goddess

Curses aren t real.

Anna repeated the mantra to herself as she spotted T t on the far side of the Hilo airport terminal.

Leilani! her grandma called as she made her way down the escalator. The big, smiley wrinkles around her t t s eyes and mouth had multiplied since last summer.

Anna mustered up a weak grin, trying to hide her crankiness. She had asked her grandma not to call her by her middle name the last time she was here. But her grandma had just said, Pah, you don t even know what Anna means, why would you want to be called that? Then her best-friend-in Hawai i, Kaipo, had whispered, I told you it wouldn t work. Anna groaned because she had to buy him a pack of dried cuttlefish for losing their bet.

She waved at her grandma but stood firmly planted atop the escalator, instead of rushing down like she normally did. She needed time to go over her plan a plan she d tried to come up with when she wasn t staring at a tiny movie screen on the two planes it took to get to Hawai i from Colorado.

It was all part of the deal T t struck with her parents when Anna was too young to have any say. Mom had a job offer that let her use her physics degree at a climate- research company in Boulder, and though they were reluctant to leave their home in the islands, they d be able to afford a better quality of life in Colorado with the income Mom s new job promised. T t was crushed that her only grandchild was being taken so far away, so she made her son and daughter-in-law swear to send Anna back to visit her for just shy of a month every year so she wouldn t forget her history. T t claimed to have tried to teach it to her son, Anna s dad, but for all his writing out of the family tree, he said he just couldn t remember their roots. So it was up to Anna to memorize the stories. To become the keeper of the mo olelo.

She was twelve now and knew KNEW! T t was gonna make a big deal about what that meant in their family. It was annoying, having

Malia Maunakea

*Featured on the TODAY Show!*
2024 International Literacy Association Children s and Young Adult Book Award Honor
An Amazon Best Book of the Month
A School Library Journal Best Book of the Year
A Center for the Study of Multicultural Children's Literature Best Book of the Year
A YALSA Best Audiobook of the Year
The Week Jr. Read Across America Title
A Common Sense Media Selection


"This exciting, fast-paced adventure is full of humor and action. Hawaiian cultural elements are seamlessly woven into the story, giving just enough context for those unfamiliar with them without taking away from the narrative. An exhilarating, adventure-filled celebration of Hawaiian culture."  Kirkus Reviews, starred review

"Maunakea displays mastery in weaving Hawaiian words, mythological references, and legendary Hawaiian figures into her story in a manner that draws readers attention to the richness of the traditions and beauty of Hawai i. . .this story belongs in the hands of middle grade readers who love adventure fiction and mythological elements, as well as those who wish to find an example of rediscovering pride in one s culture and identity."  School Library Journal

"Anna feels too Hawaiian to fit in at school, but too haole, or white, to feel at home in Hawaii a struggle that aptly center themes of identity and connection in Maunakea s energetic, adventuresome debut."  Publishers Weekly

"The author sensitively portrays the way her half-white protagonist wrestles with her identity . . . an exciting adventure in an uncommon, perceptively drawn setting."  Booklist