Anna comes face to face with the Hawaiian legends she doesn’t want to believe are real.

Ever since her family moved to Colorado seven years ago, 12-year-old Anna Leilani Kamaʻehu has been spending summers with her tūtū, or grandmother, learning the family’s moʻolelo. Usually she enjoys these stories that connect her to her Native heritage. She also normally loves spending time with Kaipo, her best friend in Hawai‘i, and eating li hing mui gummy bears, but this year is different: Kids at school are mocking her, and her Colorado best friend has left her for the popular crowd, leaving Anna feeling conflicted about her heritage. Now she refuses to believe in the Hawaiian gods and goddesses and tries to convince Tūtū to let her do touristy things. Then a frustrated Anna loses her temper, insults fire goddess Pele, and picks a sacred ʻōhiʻa lehua flower to prove her point. Pele, angered by her disrespect, causes two earthquakes, a lava flow heads toward Tūtū’s house, and a giant hawk takes Kaipo away. To fix things, Anna must find herself and her Hawaiian roots. This exciting, fast-paced adventure is full of humor and action. Anna wrestles with friendships, being biracial (her mother is Polish American), figuring out where she belongs, and finding pride in her culture. Hawaiian cultural elements are seamlessly woven into the story, giving just enough context for those unfamiliar with them without taking away from the narrative.

An exhilarating, adventure-filled celebration of Hawaiian culture. (Adventure. 8-12)

-Kirkus Review

Gr 4–7—Anna Leilani spends summers in Hawaii with her tūtū learning her family's moʻolelo—stories. She really
wants to act touristy to impress her Colorado friends, but accidentally enrages the Fire Goddess and now must save
her best friend while learning to be true to herself.

Glad to see Hawaiian culture represented in a middle grade book. While I enjoyed the setting and the characters, I thought the plot dragged on a bit. Sometimes when I read books for my middle grade library patrons I find that I struggle to get through them - this was one of them. ( )

Lei and The Fire Goddess is a fast-paced, exciting, and heartfelt adventure about a girl who is trying to connect with her Hawaiian heritage while visiting her grandma, and ends up accidentally angering the goddess Pele, who snatches her best friend Kaipo. Lei sets off to rescue him, and along the way, befriends unusual allies--a chatty bat and a helpful wind, and concocts a plan to challenge Pele in an epic battle. The story brims with humor, Hawaiian legends, unique obstacles, and a satisfying conclusion. Readers will love Lei and her dogged quest. ( )