The Gargoyle Hunters

New York City changed rapidly in the 1970s as buildings were demolished to make space for new ones. In the midst of this transformation, 13-year-old Griffin is having troubles at school and at home, and he misses his father after his parents split up. He begins visiting his father's workplace, where he sees decorative items that his father and his crew have rescued from demolition sites: gargoyles, busts, and flowers to be sold to collectors. Soon agile Griffin begins braving dangerous heights as he helps his dad. (His mother and older sister do not worry about where he is after school, although he frets about them.) His father's appreciation of beautiful detail leads him to liberate a few gargoyles that are not slated for destruction. Gills has a knack for describing buildings, and New Yorkers will find themselves looking out for the decorative features he mentions.