Soledad and the Curse of the Phoenix — Mindy Baker

This lower middle grade fantasy set in an ancient Mesoamerican world builds hope and courage rising from destruction. Soledad is a victim of the Phoenix’s evil plagues, just like the rest of her former village. But she’s also different. She’s hiding with her mother’s flute, which the Phoenix is determined to find. After a friend’s betrayal, she flees along a new path, high into the mountains, where she discovers the truth about what has really happened to her people. She realizes her knowledge, together with the power of the water and the magic of the flute, can help them all. But this realization brings a whole new danger. Before she can unite her people and face the Phoenix, Soledad will have to find the strength to forgive and learn again how to trust.