Additional information
by Mariana Llanos (Author), Laura Brenlla (Illustrator)
Prepare for a spooktacular adventure as you journey with Vampirita, whose life took a hair-raising turn when she bid farewell to the hauntingly enchanting streets of Lima, Peru, and found herself in the sun-drenched confines of Sunny City, California. But don't be fooled, this 'gloom' isn't the kind that's accompanied by chilly air, moldy tombstones, or scurrying cockroaches. It's a whole different, utterly ordinary kind of gloom. In her new abode, you won't find a single creaky floorboard. At school, cricket and worm empanadas have been swapped for, well, rather conventional lunches. And if that's not enough, her next-door neighbors, August and Molly, are annoyingly nice. While her mom hopes for seamless integration, Vampirita yearns for the spirited days in Peru, where she could indulge her passion for tomb excavations with her abuevampiritos. But Vampirita is not one to surrender to mundanity. With her friends reluctantly in tow, she hatches an audacious plan to make her family the talk of the town, complete with pitchforks and torches. The question looms, will her audacious scheme prevail, or will she unearth that Sunny City conceals far more than meets the eye? This is a whimsical, heartwarming tale celebrating unexpected friendships, daring adventures, and the search for a sprinkle of spookiness in the most unlikely places. Accompany Vampirita as she navigates her new life and unravels the supernatural surprises that lurk beneath Sunny City's sunny facade."
Author Biography
Mariana Llanos is not a vampire, but just like Vampirita, she's from Lima, Perú. Since she was a little girl Mariana wrote stories, plays, and poetry. She loved everything related to books, movies, music, and the arts. She studied Theater and Marketing. After she moved to Oklahoma in 2002, Mariana began writing in English. Her first book, Tristan Wolf, came out in 2013. She hasn't stopped publishing books and writing stories since, in both English and Spanish. Her latest works include Luca's Bridge/El Puente de Luca (Penny Candy Books 2019, 2020 ALSC Notable Book), Eunice and Kate (Penny Candy Books 2019), and Run Little Chaski! (Barefoot Books 2021, JLG Gold Standard Selection, Oklahoma Book Awards Finalist). Mariana believes the love for reading is contagious, that's why she enjoys visiting schools to tell children how much she loves reading. She's visited over 200 schools around the world thanks to virtual technology. She's the co-founder of LatinxPitch, a Twitter event that looks to boost the representation of Latino creators in children's literature. Vampirita is Mariana's first chapter book series. Mariana has three children and still lives in Oklahoma. Just like Vampirita, she misses the grim grey skies of Lima but has learned to make some friends.
