Lotería

By Karla Arenas Valenti, Dana Sanmar (Illustrator)

A young girl faces a deadly game of fate to save her cousin in a mythical kingdom.

5.0/7 Bookroo expert·3.9/5 Goodreads · 1,106 ratings

320 pages

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Bookroo's summary

In Oaxaca City, eleven-year-old Clara is swept into a mystical game where Life and Death hold the cards. Her cousin Esteban is missing, and Clara's quest to find him leads her to the Kingdom of Las Pozas. Here, every decision could seal her fate. As the Lotería cards reveal scorpions, arrows, and roses, Clara must navigate a world where each choice has dire consequences. Can she defy destiny and forge her own path, or will she succumb to the whims of fate? Discover a magical tale of courage and free will.

From the publisher

The turn of a card could change your destiny in this captivating middle grade adventure based on the Lotería card game and perfect for fans of Coco.

While searching for her missing cousin, a young girl is transported to a mythical kingdom, becoming entangled in a perilous game of chance. “A magical, philosophical tale rooted in Mexican lore.” –School Library Journal, starred review

In the hottest hour of the hottest day of the year, a fateful wind blows into Oaxaca City. It whistles down cobbled streets and rustles the jacaranda trees before slipping into the window of an eleven-year-old girl named Clara. Unbeknownst to her, Clara has been marked for la Lotería. Life and Death deal the Lotería cards but once a year, and the stakes could not be higher. Every card reveals a new twist in Clara’s fate–a scorpion, an arrow, a blood-red rose. If Life wins, Clara will live to a ripe old age. If Death prevails, she’ll flicker out like a candle. But Clara knows none of this. All she knows is that her young cousin Esteban has vanished, and she’ll do whatever it takes to save him, traveling to the mythical Kingdom of Las Pozas, where every action has a price, and every choice has consequences. And though it seems her fate is sealed, Clara just might have what it takes to shatter the game and choose a new path.

Karla Arenas Valenti weaves an adventure steeped in magic and mythology–gorgeously illustrated by Dana Sanmar–exploring the notion of free will in a world where fate holds all the cards.

At a glance

Format: Hardcover
Pages: 320
Reading age: 8–12
Audience: Middle Grade
Lexile: 740L

Themes & topics

Books about magic Books about Mexico Books about social themes Books about adventure and adventurers Books about values and virtues

For the grown-ups

The parent guide

What families may want to know

Every family reads differently. These are the concepts our editors noticed in this book — worth seeking out for some readers, worth knowing about for others. The list isn't exhaustive, but it's a spoiler-light head start.

Scary Villains and Characters

There is a villain character, called El Diablo, who lures children away from their homes so he can enslave them. **Spoiler alert** A character is imprisoned in a cave with other children where every year they're forced to give a drop of blood to an evil king so he can stay young.

After the last page

Talk about it together

1. Every choice Clara makes has a consequence, starting with her choice to open the window. Can you identify how her choices led to the various events unfolding in her life? What do you think would have happened had she made different choices along the way?

2. How have your choices led to certain events? How do you think your choices have affected other people?

3. Clara’s fear in the Golden Grotto leads her to make a choice: to exit the cave where she draws a dragon. Had she not doubted herself, she would not have drawn the sketch, and the dragon would not have been consumed by the roots of the tree (which led to her being stung by the scorpion... and everything that came after). In the end, Clara’s fear led to her demise. However, it also helped her learn courage and to believe in herself. Can you look back on certain events in your life and identify how they have shaped you in unexpected ways?

4. There are three key moments where Clara’s fear or insecurity had big consequences for her: first, at the entrance to the Golden Grotto; second, when the bird requests a drawing and she refuses; third, when she enters the tunnel under the wall of vines. How did each of these events change her story?

5. There is a moment in the story when Clara thinks she’s been betrayed: the scene with the rose. Was this actually a betrayal or a misunderstanding? How did this event actually help Clara? Can you think of a time in your life when you felt betrayed but everything turned out okay in the end? How might a misunderstanding lead us to make the wrong decision?

6. The scene with the spider is a turning point for Clara: she feels that she has hit her lowest moment and that all hope is lost. What keeps her going? How does her decision ultimately lead to her success?

7. This is a story about free will, and in each chapter there are various symbolic references to freedom. For instance: windows being closed, birds flying, oranges rolling away. Can you identify other ways in which freedom is represented in each chapter? What role do these symbolic references play in exploring the question of free will and determinism?

8. The lack of freedom is also explored throughout the story. Can you identify different ways that the characters are trapped (they lack freedom)? For instance, how do Clara’s insecurities restrict her freedom? What is the role that grief plays in trapping her young cousin? Can ignorance be a trap? What about being a foreigner in a new land and not knowing the rules that govern a community? How does our own paradigm of life restrict us and limit our choices?

9. How do the characters in the story free themselves from their various traps? What role do knowledge, courage, and hope play in their freedom?

10. Using a set of Lotería cards, build your own story. Start by shuffling the deck and selecting a card at random. The image on that card is your first prompt to get your story going. If you get stuck, flip another card and use the image on that card to continue your story. Write until you've used up five cards (or more!)

What readers & critics say

Reviews

5.0

out of 7

5.0

“This was great for cultural exposure of Oaxaca, Mexico, and a taste of philosophy. **Spoiler** It’s not a happily ever after ending. It’s a meaningful ending, but it’s quite sad.”

The Goodfather

Trusted reviewer

“A magical, philosophical tale rooted in Mexican lore that will hold readers from beginning to end with its verdant language and setting.”

Clare A. Dombrowski

Critic · Starred review

“From the first line of this philosophical debut, Arenas Valenti demonstrates a gift for interweaving immersive, sensory-rich storytelling with a thoughtful discussion of fate vs. determinism.”

Dana Sanmar

Critic

For readers who can't stop at one