In San Gregorio, the forest and the monarchs were revered and protected.įor as long as Solimar could remember she had come to the woods to greet the first wave of butterflies on their journey. Like everyone in the kingdom, Solimar believed that the ancestors of the monarch butterflies inhabited the oyamel forest, and that year after year, their spirits lured a new generation of butterflies to this spot to rest during their migrations. On the far bank, the oyamel firs towered. She hurried along a footpath leading to a wide creek and stopped at the water’s edge. In the distance, a dark veil surged and rippled. And I don’t want to miss the spectacle!” Solimar shaded her eyes and looked up. Lázaro darted back in the direction from which they’d come, chittering loudly, his long tail feathers in a wild flutter. A spotter in the tower saw the first wave headed this way and sent me a message.” Lázaro, a resplendent quetzal, flew alongside her, whistling and cooing. When she’d heard the news that the arrival was imminent, she dashed from the garden, calling to her grandmother, “Abuela, they’re coming! I will meet you at the creek!” In the other, she held a crown of flowers that she’d just finished weaving from pink dahlias, a swag of ivy, and ribbons. In one hand, she clutched a rebozo, the tails of the long linen shawl trailing behind her. Solimar Guadalupe, almost out of breath, ran toward the forest, hoping she wasn’t too late. Within this vast land, one of twelve provincial kingdoms-San Gregorio-lay nestled in a highland valley bordered by thousands of oyamel fir trees. Once, a rich and glorious Mexico stretched from the isthmus of the middle Americas to the northern red wood forests, and as far east as the bayous. Written for ages 8 to 12 by the Newbery Honor Medal winner of the highly acclaimed novel Echo. The remaining villagers are taken hostage―all except Solimar.Ĭan this princess-to-be save her family, the kingdom, and the future of the monarch butterflies from a greedy and dangerous king? This alone would be a huge responsibility, but tragedy strikes when a neighboring king invades while her father and brother and many others are away.

There, the sun pierces through a sword-shaped crevice in a boulder, which shines on her and sends the butterflies humming and swirling around her.Īfter the magical frenzy, she realizes she’s been given a gift―and a burden: she can predict the near future! She has also become a protector of the young and weak butterflies.

On the brink of her Quinceañera, and her official coronation, Solimar visits the oyamel forest to sit among the monarch butterflies. Middle-grade fans of Pam Muñoz Ryan’s Esperanza Rising, will find a new Mexican heroine to love in Solimar and a fresh, magical story! Title: SOLIMAR: THE SWORD OF THE MONARCHSįind it: Goodreads, Amazon, Kindle, Audible, B&N, iBooks, Kobo, TBD,

Solimar by Pam Muñoz Ryan