Kingston and the Magician's Lost and Found

August 1, 2020
Grades 4-6 Returning with his mom to resettle in their extended family's old Brooklyn brownstone, 12-year-old Kingston is determined to find his magician father, who vanished onstage four years ago in the midst of a trick. Hardly has he begun exploring the creepy, burned-out theater where the mystery occurred than eerie clues begin piling up. As it turns out, Kingston's dad has been stranded in a genuine magical Realm all this time, and the clock may be ticking down on a last chance to fetch him back. Along with coded messages, characters who plainly know more than they're saying, doppelg�ngers, and secret schemes that all come together in a dizzying denouement, the pseudonymous authors tuck into their breathlessly paced tale allusions to Black stage magicians of the past as one of several artful nods to the fact that the cast is (a real rarity in fantasy) predominantly Black. Kingston's invisible hand turns out to have all sorts of surprising uses too, which should leave readers even more delighted that the stage is left set for sequels.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2020, American Library Association.)

September 1, 2020
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. (map) (Fantasy. 8-12)

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January 1, 2021

Gr 5-7-Twelve-year-old Black boy Kingston James realizes he is reckoning with the spirits of his shattered family's former life when he spies the word magik scribbled underneath a stop sign. He and his mom are venturing back to Echo City, Brooklyn, after a four-year hiatus. Their escape from the family home coincided with the shocking and untimely disappearance of Kingston's dad, who was a well-known magician. One night, his dad entered a magic mirror while on stage at the Mercury Theater, never to be seen again. Now that they're back, it isn't long before Kingston finds himself up to his eyeballs in the mystery of his dad's disappearance. He brings along trusty sidekicks: his cousin Veronica and friend Too Tall. Intricately crafted twists at every turn keep the determined crew on their toes. The action is well paced, giving readers time to savor the myriad colorful characters who interact with the clue chasers. The rekindled friendship among Kingston, Veronica, and Too Tall is authentic, even when they make some missteps on the path to solving the crime. Readers will want to continue learning about Kingston and his friends in future installments. VERDICT An enjoyable addition to most middle school mystery collections. Come along for the ride (if you dare) as these determined sleuths discover portals, meet false realm characters, and puzzle over long-hidden clues on the path to finding the truth behind a gifted magician's untimely disappearance.-Julie Shatterly, W. A. Bess Elem. Sch., Gastonia, NC

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