(2) YA Leopold Berry lives in Los Angeles in a world like our own, but since his mother's death when he was twelve, he has experienced dissociative episodes in which he sees unbelievable things, such as a winged parking attendant or a rain cloud chasing a fruit vendor. He thinks of these moments as "Seeing into Sunder" after the short-lived TV show Max's Adventures in Sunderworld, on whose VHS tapes he fixates. Now seventeen, Leopold is adrift, a constant disappointment to his emotionally abusive father, until a raccoon hands him a token for a decommissioned Angels Flight Railway tram that takes him and his best friend to the not-so-imaginary land of Sunder Hill. There Leopold leaps at the chance to prove he's a channeler, the "most powerful magical being on the planet," but things go horribly, publicly awry. Just when everything seems lost, a note from Leopold's late mother sends him on a treasure hunt through his childhood memories, leading to a discovery that changes everything. Fast-paced and inventive, this gateway fantasy has the grubby, off-kilter realism of a Chuck E. Cheese and a satirical nod to reality TV, with first-rate characters that will hook and charm readers. The treasure hunt celebrates L.A. landmarks, and constant new developments keep readers on the edges of their seats, hoping for Leopold's vindication -- and waiting for the next episode in this projected new series.

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2024

(3) YA Illustrated by Andrew Davidson. From the author of the adult series Miss Peregrine's Peculiar Children, comes a collection of "folklore" of peculiars. The ten fascinating short stories focus on outcast characters that overcome adversity. Purportedly edited and (footnoted) by "Millard Nullings," an invisible ward of Miss Peregrine's, each tale opens with a detailed, full-page black-and-white woodblock illustration that adds to its air of mystery.

Reviewer: Cynthia K. Ritter