THE LIBRARY OF CURIOSITIES

Expelled from boarding school for the fifth time, middle schooler Rowan moves in with her grandfather, where she trains as an intern at the Library of Curiosities.

Rowan Fitzgerald, almost 12, bends the rules—but she usually has a reasonable excuse and good intentions. Lonely Rowan just wants to fit in. Her latest expulsion coincides with her guardian grandfather’s invitation to spend Thanksgiving at Fitzgerald Manor in Glassby Bay in Northern California. He tells her, “The time has come for you to understand your heritage.” The massive home includes three wings with staff and family living quarters, a ballroom, bowling alley, movie theater, cafe, mysterious fourth floor (that’s strictly off limits!), and the Library of Curiosities, which contains enchanted objects for borrowing, from the harmless (a spoon that makes everything taste delicious) to the ominous (the mysterious “rare curiosity” known as the Everheart). Rowan, who’s Irish American, makes friends with Henry Choi and Lara Hernandez, fellow middle schoolers and residents of Fitzgerald Manor and the other two members of the inaugural Library Youth Internship Program. When curiosities start to disappear and Rowan becomes a suspect, she must figure out what’s going on. Short, exciting chapters laced with humor and a rich vocabulary showcase characters such as the menacing magician Silverjack and the sarcastic talking cat Mr. Fluffypants. Occasional flashback chapters fill in events from before Rowan’s parents drowned. Rowan’s suggestions for nonmagical solutions to problems remind readers that they can achieve their own goals.

Inventive and worthwhile.