Rebecca Villarreal - Middle Grade

Belly and Bear

Contemporary Chapter Book

In this chapter book series starter, all 8-year-old Belly wants is someone to play Lost Girls in the woods with her. Her big sister is too teenaged to play, and her mom is always busy with the new baby. When Belly gets in trouble for taking the baby into the woods and leaving her unattended (Only for a minute!), she decides to run away and be a lost girl for real. Everything is going fine until a shaggy creature (Wolf? Bear? Wolf-Bear??) starts stealing her limited provisions. Going home isn't an option, so Belly will tame the wild beast - or die trying. In the process, she just might find the playmate she's been looking for. Perfect for fans of Ivy + Bean and Judy Moody.

Bonded

Middle Grade Fantasy

Twelve-year-old Opal has been looking forward to Bonding Day her whole life. She'll finally meet her animal kindred and unlock her magic. Provided she bonds. Since the civil war that ended with the banishment of all the reptiles and their human kindred - including her mother - more and more kids have failed to bond, and some of them - including her cousin - are disappearing. Just when Opal thinks she won't find her kindred, something even worse happens. A dragon steps through the sealed portal and bonds with her. If Opal wants to avoid being banished, she'll have to find a way to break their bond - even if that means losing her magic. But the more she gets to know her dragon, the more she wonders if reptiles are the real problem after all.