Guardians of the Gryphon's Claw

Gr 5–7—Sam London is an ordinary 12-year-old boy looking for his "something special." He has recently been plagued by dreams of meeting with a gryphon named Phylassos, the guardian of all mythical creatures. Since Sam has always been intrigued by all things mythical, he decides to go where the dream takes place and see what he can find. This sets him on a whirlwind adventure where he quickly realizes that mythical creatures are real and live among humankind. He teams up with Dr. Vance Vantana of the Department of Mythical Wildlife to make sure that the Gryphon's Claw, the power that keeps mythical creatures hidden from humans, remains safe. This is a fun-filled start to a series that is sure to keep lovers of Rick Riordan running to the shelves. Gallicano's novel is longer than most books of this genre and can drag at times, but the plot is unique enough to keep dedicated readers motivated. Interspersed are elements from both Western and Eastern folklore, including mythical creatures not typically found in middle grade literature (the Aswang of Filipino folklore, for example). All of the characters are fully fleshed out, though there are a bit too many adult characters for a middle grade title.