As a former middle school teacher, Maria infuses this story with deep empathy for her characters and readers, combining beautiful writing with well-developed relationships and important themes such as friendship, community, and compassion to unite all living creatures. With few middle grade stories set in Central America, this is a crucial read in the children’s book space, as Maria seamlessly navigates readers into the setting of Honduras, where she grew up.

María José is a writer of children’s books. Her favorite stories usually include animals, friendships, family, and magic. She grew up snorkeling and hiking in her homeland of Honduras, where nature and culture nourished her soul. Her debut novel, Turtles of the Midnight Moon, will be published by Knopf in the Spring of 2023. When she’s not writing, you can find her teaching, reading, walking her dogs, relaxing on the couch with her family, or maybe out on a mountain bike ride.