THE ANCIENT UNDERWATER CITY

A boy summons the courage to help friends, whomever or whatever they might be.

Young Iggie is moving in with his mother after living with an aunt and uncle. As he arrives in Peculiar Woods, his aunt warns him to stay away from a mysterious lake. Iggie’s suspicions that he’s entered a new world are confirmed when he wanders off his first night and learns that the inanimate objects here can walk and talk. On his horrible first day at his new school, Iggie cowers in the face of mean bullies, but another opportunity for courage presents itself when he meets two chess pieces—a demanding pawn and a philosophical king—who need help getting to their ancient underwater city. Accompanied by a baby blanket and a chair who needs frequent yoga breaks to cope with stress, Iggie agrees to help, and they sail across the lake, flee ornery beavers, and are rescued by a washing machine named Lazarus Gallington. Rounded cartoon illustrations build suspense at pivotal moments. Though the tale bursts with humor, it’s also a tender exploration of the search for home—both the chess pieces’ journey toward a literal home and Iggie’s adjustment to a new life with his mother. Iggie and his family are light-skinned; a new girl he befriends at school is brown-skinned.

Imaginative worldbuilding and adventure mixed with unique characters and quirky humor.