Lola Benko, Treasure Hunter

July 15, 2020
Lola, with the help of two friends and their clever STEM projects, sets out to rescue her father and uncover secretive operations. When agents visit Lola in San Francisco with news that her father, a famous archaeologist, has died overseas while on the hunt for the magic Stone of Istenanya, Lola doesn't believe them. She would sense if he were gone, and besides, the stone is straight from a fairy tale. Lola launches her own search, but her questionable attempts only lead to an impressive rap sheet. Tech giant Mr. Tewksbury, her most recent target, offers her a choice: juvenile detention or local private school Redwood Academy. Lola chooses Redwood, where she hooks up with new friends Jin Wu-Rossi and Hannah Hill. Three heads are better than one, and these whiz kids make STEM cool as they outmaneuver the mysterious Shadow for the stone--which turns out to actually exist--and try to free Lola's dad. Lola narrates with spunk and dry humor, and the trio's capers take them through notable San Francisco landmarks as they try to discover the identity of the Shadow and uncover Lola's father's secret mission. Most characters are White by default; Jin is cued as biracial (Chinese/Italian). An accessible, colorful romp that ends with an alluring hint of another treasure hunt to come. (Fiction. 11-14)

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