The Storm Runner

Gr 4–8—Zane Obispo has a pretty sweet life: a mom who loves him; his fun, wrestling-loving Uncle Hondo; eccentric, caring neighbors; a loyal dog; and his very own backyard volcano. The downside is he'll be starting a new school, where he knows kids will make fun of his limp and his cane. When Zane and his dog Rosie discover a secret entrance to the volcano, Zane has no idea they've just put an ancient prophecy into motion, one that features him as a main player. Soon he meets a shape-shifter named Brooks who tells Zane that not only is Zane supernatural, but it is foretold that he plays a role in releasing Ah-Puch—the Mayan god of death, disaster, and darkness—from his prison in the volcano. Zane learns that there is more truth to the myths in his Mayan book than he ever imagined and that his father—whom he has never know—is also a major part of the prophecy. Zane sets off a chain of events that bring him closer to the truth about his ancestry and show him a world he thought only existed in books. Fantastic and villainous creatures from Mayan folklore combine with clever, realistic, and heartwarming characters.