Malia Maunakea's debut novel is an immersive middle grade Hawaiian fantasy that, at its heart, is about a girl who's trying to figure out where she belongs. Twelve-year-old Anna (Lei) is caught between two worlds—the one she inhabits with her parents in Colorado where she snowboards and hikes and tries to fit in at school, and the one with her tutu in Hawaii where she spends the summers.

Ever since she was a little girl, Anna has heard the stories of her ancestors from Tutu, but THIS summer all she wants is to hang out with her friend Kaipo, eat shave ice, and go to the beach. To prove how ridiculous her grandmother's stories are, Anna picks a lehua blossom—something she's been warned is a no-no—and quickly learns the moʻolelo she's learned from Tutu is much more than a set of silly myths when the fire goddess herself sends a giant hawk to carry off Kaipo. Anna has no choice but to head straight into the heart of her Tutu's stories in order to confront Pele, try to save her friend and, along the way, find out what it truly means to fit in.

Lei and the Fire Goddess is an engaging and well-written novel, one that will stick with you long after you close the last page.

Another fun installment from Rick Riordan Presents! Lei and the Fire Goddess features a young girl named Anna (Lei) who learns the hard way not to cross a goddess and in her journey she grows and learns about her heritage and the importance of keeping the stories of the past alive. I really enjoyed the growth of the main character. She's kind of annoying in the beginning and by the end she is strong and self aware. Learning about Hawaiian culture and mythology was fascinating as well. I would definitely recommend!

I have read so many middle grade fantasy adventures based on the legends and myths of different cultures that I was becoming a bit bored. Maunakea's story of Anna/Lei reminded me of why I do keep reading them. What makes this title stand out are the characters. Anna reminded me a bit of Aru Shah, which is high praise, and I especially loved her batlike sidekick, Ilikea, and Makani, the breeze who is her friend. The typical tropes are all there but are well done. One small complaint: I got tired of her constantly referring to "back in Colorado" or how her life was "in Colorado". The point of the two-parts of her life point could have been made with a bit less repetition.
Highly recommended for middle grade fantasy fans, especially those who like Aru Shah.

Lei and the Fire Goddess is spot-on commercial middle grade fantasy with a fierce female lead, shapeshifting animal sidekicks (plus the wind!), and themes of friendship and identity, steeped in Hawaiian mo'olelo. Perfect for anyone who loves middle grade, action-packed adventures, and exploring vivid worlds.

I was lucky to read an ARC of this book. Add this to your list, and watch for the sequel too!

Anna Leilani Kama'ehu is stuck in something of an identity crisis. Ever since she moved from Hawaii to Colorado with her parents, she struggles to fit in. At home in Colorado, she only wants to be called Anna and gets picked on for believing in the native Hawaiian lore she was raised with and now her best friend has left her for the popular group. She used to always look forward to spending the summers in Hawaii with her tūtū, but this year she doesn't want to hear any more stories about her culture -- she wants to visit Hawaii like a tourist. This year, Anna refuses to believe in the Hawaiian gods and goddesses and goes so far as to insult Pele, the volcano goddess, out of spite. In retaliation, Pele sends a giant hawk to snatch Anna's Hawaiian best friend Kaipo and sends a lava flow right for Tūtū's house. If she wants to fix things before they're too late, Anna must go on a quest to face Pele and come face to face with her own heritage.

Fans of Rick Riordan books will obviously love this culturally rooted adventure novel. Anna is a character that readers will want to root for -- she makes mistakes, sure, but as she finds herself she also sets out to repair the mistakes she's made. The Hawaiian setting of this book is rich and vibrant -- with references to local foods and landmarks tucked in naturally. Untranslated Hawaiian words and slang are sprinkled into the dialogue and add a level of authenticity and cultural understanding. We have readers all the time looking for stories about Pacific Islanders, and the pool of options has been pretty small. This awesome new addition is hopefully a indicator of things to come.

Every summer for the past seven years, Anna has made the trek across the ocean from her home in Boulder, Colorado to spend three weeks with her grandmother in Hawai’i. Now that she is twelve, however, several things have begun to change. At home, she is feeling ever more isolated because of her mixed heritage, and she is desperate to do whatever she can to assimilate to mainland American culture. But in Hawai’i, turning twelve means that Anna must embrace her role as the keeper of her family’s history, or mo’olelo. When the stories she has heard all her life reveal themselves as truths and her Hawai’ian best friend is kidnapped, Anna’s reality leads her on a dramatically different path than she ever expected.

This beautifully descriptive novel transports readers to the lesser-known side of Hawai’i, far from the tourists and postcard-worthy beaches. Readers are introduced to the cultural center of Hawai’i, the one that was nearly destroyed by the arrival of western settlers several decades ago. As the story progresses, Hawai’ian legends and folklore appear alongside the western identity that Anna now regards as her own, amplifying the complexity of feelings swarming inside of Anna’s head. Anna is rightfully part of both cultures, yet she feels as though she belongs in neither of them because of her mixed background. Like countless others her age, Anna battles with both the desire to assimilate and the expectation of preserving her family heritage.

Memorable characters and the beauty and majesty of Hawai’i enhance the storytelling and keep readers engaged in this novel from the very first pages. The pacing of the story is smooth and exciting, blending ample action sequences with thoughtful external—and internal—dialogue. Hawai’ian language is used throughout the novel, and even if readers do not recognize the words, their meaning is usually discernable. It would be helpful to have a glossary at the end, however, in order to help readers to more fully understand the meaning and pronunciation of potentially unfamiliar vocabulary. Family, friendship, and finding oneself amidst the chaos of a complicated world are central themes in this book, and readers will find themselves empathizing with Anna no matter their background. This is a heartfelt debut that will speak with particular strength to middle grade readers who have ever felt unsure about their own cultural identities, and it is poised for a sequel.

Anna Leilani wishes she could be like every other sixth grader. She wishes she could sit with the cool kids, like her former best friend has started to do. She wishes she didn’t have to sit by the trash cans every day for lunch. And she especially wishes that she could spend a month in Hawaii doing actual tourist stuff instead of spending the whole month with her grandmother, trying to learn her family’s stories. What do these stories matter, anyway? She can always Google them later, right? They’re not real. But at least Anna will have her Hawaiian best friend, Kaipo, there with her.

In an attempt to prove that the stories aren’t real and don’t matter, Anna picks a flower belonging to none other than Pele, the fire goddess. Now, Kaipo has been kidnapped by the goddess, and lava is slowly trickling down the volcano to destroy her grandmother’s home. It’s up to Anna to make things right, and learn to use the stories she doesn’t believe in to formulate a plan to save everyone.

I received an advanced reading copy of Lei and the Fire Goddess in exchange for an honest review.

Lei and the Fire Goddess is a middle grade fantasy novel by Malia Maunakea (who I just interviewed!). It’s a book that takes place in Hawaii, and uses a lot of the local stories and folklore to bring the story to life. I’ve been seeing stuff about this book on Twitter for a while, so I was thrilled when it was picked up for publication, and even more when I got a chance to interview Malia, and then review an early copy!

At its heart, Lei and the Fire Goddess is a story about identity. Anna/Lei, much like her name, finds herself inhabiting two worlds. She has the part of her that lives in Colorado with her parents, but then she also has the Hawaiian ancestry that demands that she learn all of her family’s stories. Torn between both, and never quite fitting in fully in either, Anna/Lei struggles with who she is, and how to figure out where to belong. At first, she completely rejects the Hawaiian part of her, only to realize that it’s a bigger part of who she is than she initially realized.

That’s when all the action starts in the story! The book is about identity, sure, but on the surface, there’s a fast-paced plot keeping you reading, even late into the night. After all, Anna/Lei is facing an actual fire goddess, and going to reclaim her best friend! There’s a lot she has to do before she can succeed in her quest!

One of those things is she actually has to remember and use the stories she’s been told before. I absolutely love this structure in books, when myths and folklore play such a big part in the overall plot. Here, they serve as stepping stones on a much bigger quest, and they’re served to the reader in portions that are both compelling and understandable, even when it’s someone like myself who knows nothing about Hawaiian folklore.

I laughed and cried with Lei and the Fire Goddess, and by the time I turned the last page, I was ready for more. The end of this story hints at a sequel, and I have every finger crossed for one!

I would easily recommend this book to any fans of middle grade literature. I especially think fans of the Rick Riordan Presents books will enjoy this, but honestly anyone who reads middle grade and is looking for a story about belonging, or adventure, or even just really cool gods, would have a good time with Lei and the Fire Goddess.

Lei and the Fire Goddess will be released on June 6. You can pre-order your copy from Penguin Workshop here, and while you’re waiting for it to arrive, definitely check out my interview of Malia here!

This was one of my highly anticipated books and I'm happy to confirm that it's absolutely amazing! Anytime there is a story about someone learning to embrace themself and their culture, know that I am there for it. So many kiddos grow up feeling caught between worlds, especially mixed race kids, and so seeing Lei affirm that she belongs just as much as anyone else was so incredibly powerful.

Through rich descriptions and evocative prose, the author transports readers, showing that there's more to the island than shave ice and black sand beaches. I'm a huge fan of folklore, so I loved seeing and learning about the different gods and goddesses. It was so fun to hear their stories as they help Lei on her journey. Along with the action, there's also a healthy dose of humor in the book, to the point where I found myself laughing aloud at some of the quips from the characters. All in all, it's a great read and a wonderful addition to any library!

I enjoyed this cast of characters which were very well developed and all jumped off the page and felt real. The Hawaiian folklore and culture are new to me and I loved the interesting and exciting way this fantasy unfolded. With my beliefs suspended, I never had any doubts the events could happen. Lei made an authentic middle grade voice and I identified with her desires to win back her friends, her intelligence, her love of family, and her character arc as she realized what is most important in life. The ending hinted at more to come with Lei, her grandmother, and Kaipo and I would pick up book two. V

My Thoughts:
Hawaiʻi raised author, Malia Maunakea, adds to local Hawaiʻi centered upper elementary, middle level options for readers with her new book Lei and the Fire Goddess. Hawaiʻi students will understand from the cover picture that the fire goddess is Pele and that this will be about a contemporary encounter with Pele in Hawaiʻi. It takes the legends, the moʻolelo of Hawaiʻi and puts it into a contemporary story similar to the action, adventures in the vein of Percy Jackson and the Rick Riordan presents authors who use their own cultural legends and mythology to tell a current story.

Although the description of Kamapuaʻa does not quite match the moʻolelo written in ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi, it does not matter because Maunakea writes an exciting mirror for Hawaiʻi students and creates a sliding glass door for students on the continent. In addition, like native writer Angeline Boulley reveals in her first book Firekeeper's Daughter, some cultural things are not meant to be shared outside. This is also true in Hawaiʻi where we have published moʻolelo and we have familial moʻolelo.

Upper elementary and middle level readers will gobble this up, so make sure this is on your book shelves for fall. But if you purchase this book, also make sure that you have some of our older Hawaiian mythology, legends and tales books so that students can also be encouraged to know the original mythology and start writing their own contemporary adventure stories as a way for them, like the main character, to embrace their name and their identity as kupaʻāina o Hawaiʻi.

From the Publisher:
Curses aren't real.

At least, that's what twelve-year-old, part-Hawaiian Anna Leilani Kamaʻehu thinks when she listens to her grandmother's folktales about sacred flowers and family guardians. Anna's friends back home in Colorado don't believe in legends, either. They're more interested in science and sports—real, tangible things that stand in total contrast to Anna’s family’s embarrassing stories.

So when Anna goes back to Hawaiʻi to visit her Tūtū, she has no interest in becoming the heir to her family’s history; she’s set on having a touristy, fun vacation. But when Anna accidentally insults Pele the fire goddess by destroying her lehua blossom, a giant hawk swoops in and kidnaps her best friend, and she quickly learns just how real these moʻolelo are. In order to save her friends and family, Anna must now battle mythical creatures, team up with demigods and talking bats, and evade the traps Pele hurls her way.

For if Anna hopes to undo the curse, she will have to dig deep into her Hawaiian roots and learn to embrace all of who she is.

Publication Information:
Author: Malia Maunakea

Publisher: Penguin Workshop (June 6, 2023)

About the author: Malia Maunakea is a part-Hawaiian writer who grew up in the rainforest on the Big Island (Hawaiʻi island) before moving to a valley on Oʻahu in seventh grade. She relocated to the continent for college, and resides in Colorado with her husband, two children and a rescue mutt named Peggy.

What a fantastic journey! Fun creatures and beautiful scenery fill this book as Anna learns to embrace her Hawaiian culture, including her name Lei! Buckle up, you’re in for a wild ride!

If Aru Shah or Percy Jackson were set in Hawaii you'd have an idea of the fun adventure Lei and Fire Goddess bring to reading. 12-year-old Lei doesn't really believe in her grandmother's myths anymore. She's too busy trying to keep her best friend, whose been pulled into the orbit of one of the popular girls at school.
Hoping to lure her friend back with photos of her summer on her grandmother's island (while her friend vacations in Paris), Lei, whose going by her non-Hawaiian name Anna, manages to offend Pele, the volcano, by plucking one of her flowers. Pele responds by kidnapping Anna/Lei's dearest island friend... who turns out to actually be her family's guardian in disguise.
Lei must embrace her Hawaiian ancestry, learn to hula, and beat Pele at her own volcanic sledding game, if she wants to save her grandmother's home from the oncoming lava flow, and save her dear friend.

I enjoyed the adventure of this story. The bat guardian in training cracked me up throughout. And I loved learning more of Hawaii's culture and story through this awesome adventure.

Leilani tends to go by "Anna" at home in Colorado, where her parents moved when her mother was able to get a good job in Boulder. She is more concerned with fitting in at her middle school, and getting along with her best friend Ridley. Her tutu (grandmother) is determined that she won't forget her Hawaiian culture, and has her come every summer to spend time on the island, near the small village of Volcano. Her father has made her memorize that family tree back many generations, and now that she is twelve, Anna must work on memorizes stories about her ancestors's past. She generally likes visiting, but wants to have more of a tourist experience so she can post pictures on fancy resorts on her social media in order to be like the other girls in her class. She does look forward to being with Kaipo, her best-friend-in-Hawai'i, but even he thinks her grandmother is right in wanting her to embrace her cultural heritage. When she plans to pick a flower from the Ōhi'a Lehua tree, Kaipo warns against it, saying that it will anger Pele, the goddess of the volcano. Anna picks it out of spite, citing the superstition that picking one will bring rain, but instead sets off an earthquake. Not only that, but a huge hawk circles the children and picks up Kaipo, carrying him away! There is lava headed towards her grandmother's house, but Anna knows she hsa to save her friend. She is helped by a talking bat named Ilikea, who helps her travel underground through lava tubes to get to the top of the mountain. When this doesn't work, Anna heads back to her grandmother's house, and TuTu shows her another way up and tells her that she will help neighbors evacuate. Anna is also helped by Makani, the wind, and various other creatures like butterflies that talk to her. She even meets Pele in the incarnation of a young girl, and thinks that the two get along, but Pele is still angry. Anna travels to retrieve a scale that is supposed to have magical powers, and realizes that talking to Pele's companion Kamapua'a might help. She learns some secrets about her family's past, as well as about Kaipo, and ends up having to learn hula and to challenge Pele to a sled race down the mountain. All of these activities help Anna connect more to her culture and family past, and she returns from rescuing Kaipo with a new sense of mission to embrace her identity fully as Leilani.
Strengths: This wove together strands of middle school identity and cultural identity nicely, and had enough friend drama to draw in readers who might not otherwise pick up a fantasy book. I really liked the idea of having a certain persona and friends in Boulder, and another at her grandmother's house. The action starts very quickly, and the problem and quest to solve it are clearly laid out and easy to follow. I didn't have to take notes to keep track of what was going on, which I frequently have to do with fantasy. There are lots of descriptions of the island, and a lot of cultural touchpoints that are essential to the plot. This was a very fun action/adventure fantasy.
Weaknesses: I wish there had been a glossary at the end. There were a lot of Hawaiian words that my students won't know, and while they could use their phones to look them up more quickly than I could, I'd rather not have them use any more screen time than they have to. Also, some terms like "kuewa", which the bat calls Anna, seem to have more weight than just the meaning I can find online. Also, I wouldn't have minded seeing more of the grandmother.
What I really think: This seems like it will be a stand alone, and it was different enough from other fantasy titles that I will purchase it. Sure, there's a quest that goes underground andn involves talking to magical creatures when the main character turns twelve, but I can't think of any other fantasy involving Hawaiian culture. What I would really like to see is some realistic fiction about middle school students living in Hawaii!

As a lover of mythology based middle grade fantasy I was eager to read this book. Not only was I not disappointed, but I found this book to have a layer that many books in this genre don't have, There's adventure, action, and a fun introduction to a mythology most readers will be unfamiliar with. But underneath there's a deeper story of a girl embracing all of who she is. The main character's slow transformation from Anna, who does not feel Hawaiian, into Lei, who embraces her Hawaiian identity, was a joy to read. As if that wasn't enough, the author's painting of the island setting was vivid and I felt as if I were spending some time on a tropical island in the middle of a Kentucky winter. Bravo! I can't wait for the next installment in this series and other books from this author.

Lei and The Fire Goddess is a fast-paced, exciting, and heartfelt adventure about a girl who is trying to connect with her Hawaiian heritage while visiting her grandma, and ends up accidentally angering the goddess Pele, who snatches her best friend Kaipo. Lei sets off to rescue him, and along the way, befriends unusual allies--a chatty bat and a helpful wind, and concocts a plan to challenge Pele in an epic battle. The story brims with humor, Hawaiian legends, unique obstacles, and a satisfying conclusion. Readers will love Lei and her dogged quest.

An exciting and enriching story set in Hawaii!

I was excited to be able to read an ARC of this wonderful book. Lei (Anna) is such a likeable character right from the start. She is smart, sassy, cute, and relatable. Her interactions with the other main characters were entertaining and helped highlight the different parts of her personality. Lei's courage in facing her fears, her strong loyalty and devotion to her loved ones, and her budding chemistry with Kaipo were what stood out to me. The author convincingly weaves in Hawaiian language, culture, myths, and traditions throughout the story and it gave me possibly the first ever glimpse into life in Hawaii through a children's book. A perfect book to expand and enrich its reader's understanding of a beautiful country and its people!

LEI AND THE FIRE GODDESS is a beautiful tribute to a rich and vibrant culture. Malia's genuine love for her home shines brilliantly through every page. Adventure and heart blend perfectly to create a page-turning journey with a hero in Lei you instantly root for. Her quest to find herself against the backdrop of two cultures and an ever-changing social order is one that many kids will be able to relate to and appreciate. Witty humor and a unique cast of loveable secondary characters make this book the perfect choice for any middle-grade reader. I'm so looking forward to reading more from this talented author!