Denton County Magazine • May June 23 • GUATEMALAN HERITAGE

Denton author Keka Novales creates culturally inclusive stories based on her Latin American childhood.

Keka Novales was born in Central America but her children’s series, Hola Lola, was inspired by becoming a mother a world away. Novales, who now lives in Denton, grew up in Guatemala City in Guatemala, attending an American vocational school where she learned English as a second language. After marrying her high school sweetheart, Novales and her husband moved to the United States, where they began their family.

“When my eldest daughter was born, I realized I was the gatekeeper of all the culture we left behind,” Novales said. Determined to share her family’s heritage with her daughter, Novales began dreaming of writing a children’s series about a young girl named Lola. She soon realized that her stories could help other young families find identity and pride in their history.

In 2019, Novales attended a writer’s conference and acquired an agent to help her bring Lola’s stories to publishers.

Novales completed her first book, “Lola and the New School,” and produced three story outlines to submit for publication with several publishers. Capstone Publishers decided to partner with Novales and acquired her as an author. As part of the agreement with the publishing house, Novales agreed to write a series of adventures for Lola, from starting a new school to exploring family traditions and making new friends.

The Hola Lola series is an engaging and humorous collection of stories that share the journey of Lola, a second-generation Latin American girl, as she embraces American culture while keeping the customs and traditions of her family’s Guatemalan heritage alive. Throughout the series Lola finds grandmotherly guidance from her Abuelita and learns to honor her past while making new traditions too.

As a writer and mother, Novales wants all children to feel seen and heard. She highlights the importance of diversity and inclusivity in her stories. Each book includes a Spanish glossary and pronunciation guide for readers to reference Abuelita’s terms and connect with Lola’s multicultural and multigenerational family life.

“The goal of the books is to be a window and a mirror -- a window for other cultures to see inside and a mirror for kids with similar experiences to feel represented,” Novales said.

The Hola Lola series can be purchased at Barnes & Noble, Target, Walmart and Amazon. For more information, visit KekaNovales.com.

Meet the author When: August 1 from 4 to 6 p.m. Where: Patchouli Joe’s Books & Indulgences, 221 W. Hickory St. in downtown Denton.