Scholastic Book Fairs Podcast

Nothing exciting happens on the Hill of Dust in the remote mountains of Mexico in the 1950s. There's no electricity, no plumbing, no cars - just day after day of pasturing goats. And now, without his sister and mother, eleven-year-old Teo's life feels even more barren. Then one day, the mysterious young Esma, who calls herself the Gypsy Queen of Lightning, rolls into town like a fresh burst of color. Against all odds, her caravan's Mistress of Destiny predicts that Teo and Esma will be longtime friends. Suddenly, life brims with possibility. With the help of a rescued duck, a three-legged skunk, a blind goat, and other unexpected allies, Teo and Esma must overcome obstacles - even death - to fulfill their impossible destiny. Inspired by true stories derived from rural Mexico, THE LIGHTNING QUEEN offers a glimpse of the encounter between two fascinating but marginalized cultures, the Romany and the Mixtec Indians, while telling the heart-warming story of an unlikely friendship that spans decades.