The Hungry Ghosts (Hardcover)
A tale of magic, found family, and the power of being yourself—even when the world asks you to change.
Witches have been banned from Arrett for years. Which is why Milly has tried to ignore the tingling light that appears in her palm anytime she conjures up a wish. She has too many responsibilities as the oldest girl at St. George's Orphanage to get caught up in magicks.
Sweet, quirky Cilla, though, has always longed for that power, even if it could be dangerous for her. Milly has always kept an eye out for her, but then, in a case of mistaken identity, Cilla is kidnapped by an angry, exiled witch who believes she’s the one with magicks—not Milly.
Desperate to bring Cilla back to St. George's, Milly sets out to find her with a sarcastic young Wind stuck in the form of a cat as her companion. Along the way, they meet an independent young broomstick and gentle giant—and a whole world Milly has never seen before. As she searches high and low for Cilla, one thing becomes clear: she’ll have to face the stirrings of forbidden magicks inside herself in order to rescue a friend who has become more like a sister.
Witches have been banned from Arrett for years. Which is why Milly has tried to ignore the tingling light that appears in her palm anytime she conjures up a wish. She has too many responsibilities as the oldest girl at St. George's Orphanage to get caught up in magicks.
Sweet, quirky Cilla, though, has always longed for that power, even if it could be dangerous for her. Milly has always kept an eye out for her, but then, in a case of mistaken identity, Cilla is kidnapped by an angry, exiled witch who believes she’s the one with magicks—not Milly.
Desperate to bring Cilla back to St. George's, Milly sets out to find her with a sarcastic young Wind stuck in the form of a cat as her companion. Along the way, they meet an independent young broomstick and gentle giant—and a whole world Milly has never seen before. As she searches high and low for Cilla, one thing becomes clear: she’ll have to face the stirrings of forbidden magicks inside herself in order to rescue a friend who has become more like a sister.
Miguel Flores is a Filipino-American currently living in the Midwest. Prior to writing a middle grade novel, they went to school for Business Information Management, taught high schoolers about racial justice and toxic masculinity, and sang “Baby Shark” at a shelter for elementary school kids. They like to refer to their background as a halo-halo or “mix-mix” of experiences.
When not working at the library, you can find them perching on chairs to “unlock their throat chakra” or performing spoken word poetry at local coffee shops. Sometimes they laugh too loudly at their own jokes. Miguel is the winner of Penguin Young Readers’ and We Need Diverse Books’ Roll of Thunder Writing Contest. The Hungry Ghosts is their debut.
When not working at the library, you can find them perching on chairs to “unlock their throat chakra” or performing spoken word poetry at local coffee shops. Sometimes they laugh too loudly at their own jokes. Miguel is the winner of Penguin Young Readers’ and We Need Diverse Books’ Roll of Thunder Writing Contest. The Hungry Ghosts is their debut.
Praise for The Hungry Ghosts:
"Prepare to be captivated by this bewitching middle grade debut."—School Library Journal
"Entertaining, comedic, and at times poignant.... A delightful debut for fans of magical journeys."—Kirkus Reviews
"An absorbing, otherworldly adventure with heaps of heart and magic."—Booklist
"Prepare to be captivated by this bewitching middle grade debut."—School Library Journal
"Entertaining, comedic, and at times poignant.... A delightful debut for fans of magical journeys."—Kirkus Reviews
"An absorbing, otherworldly adventure with heaps of heart and magic."—Booklist