HOW TO HEAL A GRYPHON

Fly into a magical world of mythical creatures and captured moonlight.

Among streghe, or witches, Giada’s family has been known for generations as the most innovative of the healers called guaritori. Rocco, her 16-year-old brother, is even somewhat of a prodigy. But 12-year-old Giada wants to do something slightly different with her magic—she wants to be a healer of animals, both the mundane kind and the fantastical. She recognizes the benefit in cultivating relationships with these creatures to collect powerful ingredients, like gryphon feathers or spider silk. Before she can confront her traditionalist family with this news, her parents are called away. There’s also a bunch of bad luck omens that keep appearing, but Giada tries to brush such things off as superstitions. Then, a black cat starts following her around, and worse, her brother disappears. Now it’s up to Giada to rescue Rocco from some not-so-helpful streghe. Set on the Amalfi Coast and steeped in traditional Italian folklore and mythology and Christian influences, this story features a young magic user coming into her own. Though self-admittedly stubborn at times, Giada is very talented, tries her best, and has supportive friends (both human and animal) to aid her quest. The body-positive portrayal of Giada shows a tween girl proud of her fat body. Cannistra’s entertaining narrative features wonderful descriptions of places and events that will transport readers.

Stupenda!