Journey to Sunfire Mountain
Middle grader Kep Golden spends the summer in Europe with his father who is studying superstitions in an eerie Basque village, and Kep quickly learns the villagers have good reasons to be superstitious. But when his neighbor Lilura is kidnapped by a legendary wild man, Kep must enter a parallel world where Basque myths are real to set her free and find a way to stop the wild man from causing a lasting eclipse. Can Kep, Lilura, and a mischievous imp named Moz outwit a dragon, a firebird, and a fire bull before facing off with the huge and hairy wild man?
About the book
🏅 Journey to Sunfire Mountain is a prize winner of the Basque Writing Contest. The novel is a unique meld of Basque myth into a contemporary story of a bicultural boy growing up with separated parents. It introduces readers to more than a dozen characters from Basque folklore, many of whom are beautifully illustrated by Geoff Holle. The story also interweaves several folktales and traditions seamlessly into the action of a new fantasy adventure. Ideas about father-son relationships, separated families, biculturalism, loss of traditional culture, global warming, impact of humans on wildlife, early adolescent life, and youthful infatuation are all explored throughout.
