The Lost Legacy

Gr 4–6—First in a new series, this is a fun, character-driven supernatural mystery. When Stephen's beloved grandmother, Chef Nana, dies, his dad suddenly uproots them from Chicago to New York City, where his dad takes over Chef Nana's job as head chef at the New Harmonio, an exclusive hotel for…monsters. Stephen learns in quick succession that Supernaturals are real, his mother is a missing Fae princess, and her family wants to manipulate Stephen to gain power. He teams up with the other hotel children (Sophia the warrior and Ivan the detective as well as a Bigfoot, a dragon, and a talking elevator) in a race against time to save his family from certain doom. Character development is quite satisfying, as the children start out whiny and distrustful but become brave and resourceful. The authors artfully meld the supernatural with the modern. In one scene, the children use their cell phone ringers to scare a ghoul. Black-and-white, cartoon-style line drawings by Thomas establish just the right mood for the quirky setting and characterization.