# Pilar Ramirez and the Escape from Zafa - Hardcover

by **Julian Randall** (Author)

**_The Land of Stories_** **meets Dominican myths and legends come to life in _Pilar Ramirez and the Escape from Zafa_, a blockbuster contemporary middle-grade fantasy duology starter from Julian Randall. Fans of _Tristan Strong_ and _The Storm Runner_, here is your next obsession.**

"A breathtaking journey . . . readers better hold on tight." --Kwame Mbalia, _New York Times_ bestselling author of the Tristan Strong series

Twelve-year-old Pilar Violeta "Purp" Ramirez's world is changing, and she doesn't care for it one bit. Her Chicago neighborhood is gentrifying and her chores have doubled since her sister, Lorena, left for college. The only constant is Abuela and Mami's code of silence around her cousin Natasha--who vanished in the Dominican Republic fifty years ago during the Trujillo dictatorship.

When Pilar hears that Lorena's professor studies such disappearances, she hops on the next train to dig deeper into her family's mystery. After snooping around the professor's empty office, she discovers a folder with her cousin's name on it . . . and gets sucked into the blank page within.

She lands on Zafa, an island swarming with coconut-shaped demons, butterfly shapeshifters, and a sinister magical prison where her cousin is being held captive. Pilar will have to go toe-to-toe with the fearsome Dominican boogeyman, El Cuco, if she has any hope of freeing Natasha and getting back home.

**"Magic awaits around every corner in Zafa. Nonstop action and plenty of heart create a story worth escaping into." --**_Kirkus Reviews_**, starred review**

### Author Biography

**Julian Randall** is a Living Queer Black poet from Chicago. His poetry and essays are published in the _New York Times Magazine_, _POETRY,_ _The Atlantic_, and _Vibe_. He is the recipient of a Pushcart Prize. Julian holds an MFA in Poetry from Ole Miss. His first book, _Refuse_, won the Cave Canem Poetry Prize and was a finalist for an NAACP Image Award. He was also a contributor to the #1 _New York Times-_bestseller _Black Boy Joy_. Julian has previously worked as a youth mentor, teaching writing workshops to children on house arrest. _Pilar Ramirez and the Escape from Zafa_ is his debut children's novel.

**Number of Pages:** 304

**Dimensions:** 1.2 x 8.4 x 5.7 IN

**Illustrated:** Yes

**Publication Date:** March 01, 2022

**Accelerated Reader:**

**Quiz Name:** Pilar Ramirez and the Escape from Zafa

**Interest Level:** Middle Grades, 4-8

**Reading Level:** 5.8

**Point Value:** 10

## Details

- **Price:** 16.99 USD
- **Vendor:** Books by splitShops
- **Type:** Books
- **Tags:** Books by splitShops, Shopify Collective

## Variants

| Variant | Price | Available |
|---------|-------|-----------|
| Default Title | 16.99 USD | In stock |

## Images

- Pilar Ramirez and the Escape from Zafa - Hardcover

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