Marya Khan and the Abominable Ski Trip (Marya Khan #6)

81kb+lRk+ZL
Author(s)
Co-Authors / Illustrators
Age Range
8+
Release Date
September 09, 2025
ISBN
978-1419774973
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Perfect for fans of Ivy & Bean and Stella Diaz, this charming chapter book series by the author of the successful Yasmin series follows a Pakistani American third-grader whose plans may backfire but whose persistence and heart are inspiring

It’s winter break and Marya and Hanna are joining Alexa and her aunt at a luxurious ski resort. A fancy, snowy vacation may sound like a dream to most kids, but not Marya. She hates being cold, and five days with her frenemy Alexa might be too much to handle.

There’s only one thing that can save this vacation: finding the Abominable Snowman.

Cue Operation Catch a Monster! Marya is set on proving the Snowman exists—especially to her bossy older sister, Aliyah, who thinks Marya’s a baby. But with Marya’s friends set on sledding, hiking, and board games, Marya starts to worry the trip is a bust. Will she ever be able to surprise Aliyah, or—after five eventful days—will the most surprised person be . . . Marya herself?

Editor review

1 review
Cryptids at a Luxury Resort
(Updated: June 06, 2026)
Overall rating
 
4.0
Plot
 
4.0
Characters
 
4.0
Writing Style
 
4.0
Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)
 
4.0
Marya has warmed to her neighbor Alexa a little bit after seeing how much Alexa's parents ignore her, but she is still not thrilled to find out that her parents have accepted an invitation for her to spend five days of winter break with her frenemy! She was supposed to hang out with Hanna having the Winter Break of Fun, drinking hot chocolate and reading books. Marya's Dadi tells her that the trip to a ski resort sounds like a lot of fun, and that Marya will still be able to have a good time, since Hanna was invited, too. Alexa's Aunt Maryann is accompanying the girls, since her parents are going to Tokyo instead of hanging out with their daughter. Marya thinks that there might be some good points to the trip, especially when her older sister tells her about the Abominable Snowman. Marya, who likes nothing better than a good "operation" decides that she will have "Operation Catch a Monster" on the trip, to distract herself from having to be with Alexa and from missing her parents. This doesn't go as planned, since Alexa maintains there is no such thing as the Abombinable Snowman! Marya researchers how to catch animals on the hotel's computer, and has a plan, but Hanna and Alexa foil it by wearing red jackets that can be seen against the snowy landscape, and even Marya herself makes too much noise after she steps in animal poop on a trail walk. The girls have plenty to occupy themselves at the resort, but do sneak out at night to try to catch the monster. Eventually, they decide that the monster is probably just misunderstood, just like everyone else.
Good Points
Traveling with friends, or even well connected frenemies, is always such fun, and since Alexa's family is as well funded as they are disconnected, the ski resort is a great location. There are plenty of activities, and lots of tasty food. Aunt Maryann takes good care of the girls, but gives them plenty of leaway to have adventures. This is a great way to allow exploration with killing off anyone's parents!

Marya has a lot of anxieties and emotions, which will appeal to young readers who themselves might struggle with being away from home or dealing with classmates who they don't exactly like. Dadi is a great character who gives Marya a lot of sound advice when she goes too far astray.

Bushy's black and white illustrations are scattered throughout the book and help support the text, which will help emerging readers to understand the text. They also will help fans of graphic novels transition to more connected text, especially since the font size is larger than that of chapter books. Marya would be great friends with Haywood's Betsy, Sheth's Nina Soni, Butler's Kayla, and Barrows' Ivy and Bean.
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