ACCESS DIGITIZED EDITION
Guide/Reviews Database
INTERMEDIATE FICTION
Higuera, Donna Barba

Xolo

224 pp. | Levine Querido | November, 2025 | Trade ISBN 9781646147021 $19.99
(2) 4-6 Illustrated by Mariana Ruiz Johnson. Newbery Medalist (for The Last Cuentista, rev. 9/21) Higuera upends the traditional narrative of Quetzalcoatl as hero to tell the story of Xolo, the dog-headed Aztec god of “lightning, death, and misfortune” and Quetzalcoatl’s twin. Long ago, when the Earth stopped spinning and humanity was destroyed, the gods swooped down to choose different elements, such as the oceans and the sky. Xolo chooses lightning, hoping to get his brother’s attention, but Quetzalcoatl ignores him. Eventually, the outcast Xolo is banished to the Underworld, where he summons the courage to steal the bones of humanity from the self-anointed god of the Underworld, Mictlantecuhtli. Although Xolo saves humanity—and, because he sacrifices one of his claws in the attempt, is also responsible for creating “man’s best friend”—he receives no credit. Xolo grapples with a poignant question from his mother, Chimalma: “Is it more important that others witness something grandiose?…Or, to do something quietly magnificent, that none will ever know?” Johnson’s colorful illustrations draw inspiration from the Codex Borgia, with sharp lines and deeply saturated colors. Xolo’s engaging first-person narrative explores themes of sibling rivalry, courage, and self-acceptance. Appended with author and illustrator notes.
Reviewer: Yesica Hurd | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2026

RELATED 

INTERMEDIATE FICTION

Speak Up, Santiago!
by Anta, Julio
INTERMEDIATE FICTION

The Tontine Caper
by Salerni, Dianne K.
INTERMEDIATE FICTION

Candle Island
by Wolk, Lauren
INTERMEDIATE FICTION

The Unlikely Heroes Club
by Foster, Kate
INTERMEDIATE FICTION

Queenie in Seven Moves
by Louise, Zanni
More

Get connected. Join our global community of more than 200,000 librarians and educators.

This coverage is free for all visitors. Your support makes this possible.

We are currently offering this content for free. Sign up now to activate your personal profile, where you can save articles for future viewing.

ALREADY A SUBSCRIBER?