MAGGIE AND THE STORY SHADOWS

In the world of stories, anything is possible.

Thirteen-year-old Maggie Woodrow’s Korean immigrant mother, Chae-Won, is missing and presumed dead, but Maggie doesn’t believe it. Too many things remain unexplained, so she’s determined to figure out what happened and bring Mom home. She wants to stay in her beloved home, which her white-presenting dad can no longer afford, and also hire a private investigator. She has help from Griffin Glover, a Black classmate with millionaire parents who runs a successful WeView channel; together they launch a web show about her missing mom. Petra Garin, Maggie’s eighth grade “orientation buddy,” who’s cued white, also assists. The three kids’ sleuthing leads them to the Arts and Culture Exchange, a local museum, where they find a bag that captures stories—and end up inside the story world. In the end, Maggie may have to rescue not just her mother, but the whole world, all while facing down sinister forces. Featuring smart kids who sound like real young people with both serious problems and fun on their minds, the narrative skillfully balances magic with realistic issues such as managing friendship and family dynamics. Maggie and her friends encounter a variety of figures and beings that readers may recognize from Asian and European folklore, and some from more recent stories, making for a fun mishmash that allows universal themes to rise to the surface.

A well-characterized adventure that takes readers seriously.