Daybreaker

Gr 4 Up–Mika is holding on to a lot of secrets. She can see things that no one else can see and believes in the legendary beings from her grandmother’s stories. For Mika, the gods and goddesses of the Philippines are real, and some moths are the spirits of lost loved ones. Her behavior makes it hard for her to fit in with other kids, who think that she’s weird and unlucky. When Mika and her classmates, Halle and Teo, are all sent to detention, Mika accidentally casts a spell that binds the three of them together. When she tries to break the curse, she accidentally releases a legendary creature that wants to devour the sun. And that’s when things get really complicated. Simultaneously filled with action and emotion, this story interweaves Mika’s grief for her lost grandmother, the unlikely friendship among the three kids, and magical battles that could save or destroy the world. The illustrations use a palette of natural browns, greens, and blue earth tones, with more colors emerging as the story becomes increasingly magical. Readers who were captivated by the Filipino folklore in Zachary Sterling’s Mabuhay! will enjoy this book.