KINGSTON AND THE MAGICIAN'S LOST AND FOUND

A 12-year-old boy goes on a wild journey across realms to save his long-lost father.

Kingston James and his Ma left Echo City, Brooklyn, four years ago when his magician father, King Preston the Great, disappeared into a magic mirror during a duel at the Mercury Theater. Now they’re back to save their brownstone from imminent foreclosure. King takes a break from packing up the family’s magic shop and—along with his cousin Veronica and friend Too Tall—discovers several cryptic messages at the Mercury. Using a secret cipher his father taught him, he decrypts them, working under the assumption that his father is guiding him. He finds a mysterious, carved, wooden box—the Lost and Found—setting him on an adventure to unlock secrets of the Realm. Soon King finds out that he has accidentally opened a portal into the Realm, triggering a countdown before his father fades away into nothing. Time is quickly running out, and blinded by hopes of rescuing his father, King puts his loved ones in jeopardy; now he’s the only one that can save them. This brisk, first-person narrative will appeal especially to readers who like puzzles and illusions. The engaging plot and history of Black magicians make up for the stilted dialogue. King and the majority of other characters are Black.

A likable, otherworldly adventure with a bit of a mystery.