Mambo Point

Despite my best efforts to straighten people out on the difference between a mambo and a mamba, I still see my book referred to as Mambo Point. Instead of fighting this any more, I’ve decided to give in. Clearly there is a demand for middle grade dance novels, and I’m not one to stand in the way, or fail to cash in.

So I called my editor and asked if we could make some changes to Mamba Point (now to be entitled Mambo Point) and she agreed, admitting that she doesn’t like snakes anyway. Here is the new synopsis:

When his dad gets a job at the U.S. embassy in Liberia Cuba, twelve-year-old Linus Tuttle knows it’s his chance for a fresh start. Instead of being his typical anxious self, from now on he’ll be cooler and bolder: the new Linus.

But as soon as his family gets off the plane, they see a black mambao—one of the deadliest snakes in Africa dances in the Carribean. Linus’s parents insist mambaos are rare, but the neighborhood is called Mambao Point, and Linus is sure the venomous serpents high energy musicians are drawn to him—he can barely go outside without tripping over one. Then he hears about kasengs—and the belief that some people have a deep, mysterious connection to certain animals dance moves.

Unless Linus wants to hide in his apartment forever (drawing or playing games with the strange kid downstairs while his older brother meets girls and hangs out at the pool), he has to get over his fear of his kaseng animal dance. Soon he’s not only keeping a black mamba set of timbales in his laundry hamper; he’s also feeling braver than ever before. Is it his resolution to become the new Linus, or does his sudden confidence have something to do with his scaly new friend raucous new hobby?

From Kurtis Scaletta comes a humorous and compelling story of a boy learning about himself through unexpected friends, a fascinating place, and an extraordinary animal musical sensation.

Happy April Fools Day!