The Supernormal Sleuthing Service #1: The Lost Legacy

by Gwenda Bond, Glenn Thomas (Illustrator), Christopher Rowe

Overview

“Monstrous fun!”—Booklist

Three kids. A hotel full of monsters. And a stolen magical artifact that could disrupt the balance between the humans and the supernatural. Welcome to life at Hotel Monster! Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library meets Hotel Transylvania in the first book of this hilarious and spooky new series that blends mystery with monsters.

Stephen’s dad has moved their two-person family across the country to New York City, where he is taking over as head chef in an exclusive hotel. A hotel that has the most elite of clientele: monsters (though they prefer to be called supernormals). Surprise! And an even bigger surprise? Stephen is part supernormal himself.

When a magical family heirloom is stolen and Stephen is framed, he must work with two new friends to navigate this whole new world and clear his name. After all, consequences can be dire in the world of monsters.

Spooky, funny, and full of monstrous hijinks, The Lost Legacy is an inventive and accessible mystery-adventure full of friendship and humor—perfect for fans of Pseudonymous Bosch and R. L. Stine’s Goosebumps series.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780062459961
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	05/02/2017
Series:	Supernormal Sleuthing Service , #1
Sold by:	HARPERCOLLINS
Format:	eBook
Pages:	416
Sales rank:	579,006
Lexile:	750L (what's this?)
File size:	5 MB
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

Editorial Reviews

The light mystery will charm readers with its secret magical society, unusual characters, caring father-son relationship, and enchanted hotel setting. Monstrous fun!” — Booklist

“A fun, character-driven supernatural mystery. ...Black-and-white, cartoon-style line drawings by Thomas establish just the right mood for the quirky setting and characterizations. The story is fast-paced and full of action, with eccentric characters and a rewarding resolution.” — School Library Journal

From the Publisher

The light mystery will charm readers with its secret magical society, unusual characters, caring father-son relationship, and enchanted hotel setting. Monstrous fun!

Booklist

The light mystery will charm readers with its secret magical society, unusual characters, caring father-son relationship, and enchanted hotel setting. Monstrous fun!

Booklist

05/01/2017
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. VERDICT The story is fast-paced and full of action, with eccentric characters and a rewarding resolution. A solid purchase for any sized budget.—Terry Ann Lawler, Burton Barr Library, Phoenix

School Library Journal

2017-03-06
A familiar-feeling protagonist delves into a new life and a new world of magic in this middle-grade series opener by wife-husband duo. Stephen and his father, both white, move to New York City after his grandmother passes away and his dad is called to take over her job as the "Culinary Alchemist and head chef at the Hotel New Harmonia." And—surprise!—the New Harmonia is a hotel for monsters and other magical folk (here called "supernormals"). On top of this, Stephen quickly learns that he is, in fact, half fae (thanks to the mother he never met), and the fae court wants him back. Luckily, kid human hotel residents Ivan La Doyt, who is white, and Sofia Gutierrez, a Latina with brown skin in the cover art, act as Ron and Hermione-like friends. When someone steals the hotel's recipe book—necessary for Stephen's dad to cook to the tastes of the supernormals and particularly vital for the dragon-in-residence's upcoming birthday party—and Stephen is blamed, the trio takes matters into their own hands to solve the mystery. Sporadic black-and-white illustrations are friendly and accessible but add little, and the plot-driven third-person narration makes it difficult to feel invested in the characters. While it may be a brave new world for Stephen, this is well-worn territory for middle-grade fantasy. Here's hoping the second outing provides something fresh. (Fantasy/mystery. 8-12)

Kirkus Reviews