VAULT UNVEILS NEW MIDDLE GRADE GRAPHIC NOVEL, TRAVIS MUÑOZ AND THE FIRE OF THE AZTECS

Vault is thrilled to unveil a first look at the incredible new middle grade graphic novel, Travis Muñoz and the Fire of the Aztecs. Presented by Emmy Award-winning actor and UN Women Spokesperson, Karla Souza, Travis Muñoz and the Fire of the Aztecs is about Aztec mythology, best friends, and baseball—from breakout creators Mark Stack and Anne Marcano!

Before the eclipse changed everything, Travis Muñoz’s biggest problems were math class and whether he would still be able to play on the same baseball team as his best friend Yolanda. Now, Travis has to deal with his uncle Hector telling him he’s been chosen as the next warrior priest for an Aztec sun god. Which means, it’s his job to make sure the sun rises every morning. And his job to battle feathered snakemen who attack at random. Travis could probably manage both, if it weren’t for the fact that Yolanda seems mad at him for being chosen over her. At least it’s not the end of the world…yet.

“I wrote this book for one person and one person only– my niece,” said Stack. “She’ll be eleven when the book comes out which is around the time I started thinking about a lot of the ideas that show up in it. How am I like my friends? How am I not? Why do we have this thing in common, this common heritage, but have such different experiences with it? Like our character Travis, I didn’t really know how to talk about that or who to talk about that with. I felt a little cut-off from the language and the people I needed for that. Travis and Yolanda, our book’s co-lead, are both Mexican American but their families and their experiences are genuinely very different. A lot of their conflict comes first from trying to pretend those differences don’t exist and then believing that they’re irreconcilable. I hope kids like my niece read our book and see that there’s no expiration date on connecting with your heritage and embracing a larger community that can’t be put into one, easily-defined box.”

“There’s a void in the world of children’s fantasy books—especially for kids like mine, who are growing up Mexican-American and hungry to see themselves in the stories they love,” said Souza. “This book fills that void with thrilling adventure, rich Mexican mythology, and characters who reflect the beauty of our culture, our names, our family dynamics, and our power. At last, a story that makes our kids feel seen, celebrated, and connected to their ancestry. I’m overjoyed to share it with the world.”