Kingston and the Magician’s Lost and Found is such a detailed and fun story. Kingston’s father disappeared during a magic show years ago, and now Kingston and his mother are moving back to Echo City, Brooklyn, the last place his father was scene. Kingston soon discovers that magic is much more real than he thought, and that it might be possible for him to bring his father back to his realm. With strong supporting characters and rich magical lore, this was a very entertaining middle grade read, I think better for older middle grade readers.
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The summary, from Amazon:
Magic has all but disappeared in Brooklyn, but one tenacious young magician is determined to bring it back in this exciting middle grade mystery.
Twelve-year-old Kingston has just moved from the suburbs back to Echo City, Brooklyn—the last place his father was seen alive. Kingston’s father was King Preston, one of the world’s greatest magicians. Until one trick went wrong and he disappeared. Now that Kingston is back in Echo City, he’s determined to find his father.
Somehow, though, when his father disappeared, he took all of Echo City’s magic with him. Now Echo City—a ghost of its past—is living up to its name. With no magic left, the magicians have packed up and left town and those who’ve stayed behind don’t look too kindly on any who reminds them of what they once had.
When Kingston finds a magic box his father left behind as a clue, Kingston knows there’s more to his father’s disappearance than meets the eye. He’ll have to keep it a secret—that is, until he can restore magic to Echo City. With his cousin Veronica and childhood friend Too Tall Eddie, Kingston works to solve the clues, but one wrong move and his father might not be the only one who goes missing.
Buy Kingston and the Magician’s Lost and Found here.
When Kingston and his mother move back to Echo City, Brooklyn, Kingston soon realizes that the magic tricks his father performed years ago might have more to them than he previously thought. With the support of his cousin Veronica and childhood friend Too Tall, Kingston uncovers secrets about magic that his father and uncles never shared with him. Soon, he becomes convinced that he can bring his father back from the realm he disappeared into so many years ago.
The lore in this one is so richly described, weaving in real magical history, especially Black Herman, a famous magician I knew nothing about. Kingston sure knows his magic history facts, and I had so much fun learning. Kingston and his friends also use math and coding to uncover secrets throughout the novel. The magic did get a little complicated towards the end of the book, but I don’t think it was anything an older or advanced reader couldn’t comprehend.
The descriptions of the settings are detailed and lovely. The authors describe Echo City and the other realm in a way that I felt like I was there, watching Kingston and his friends uncover secrets, solve riddles, and eat pizza.
While Kingston is awesome, the supporting characters really shone for me, especially Too Tall. There were so many of them, and so many hints at possible character development further down the line, that I am dying for a sequel. The end of this wraps up nicely, but not perfectly. There’s plenty of room for more to this story.
Overall, I have to rate it 4 stars. My thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the authors for sending me a copy in exchange for my honest review.
Find out more about how I rate books here.
Kingston and the Magician’s Lost and Found by Rucker Moses
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
What a fun read, full of magic facts and a wonderfully described setting – both Brooklyn and the magical realm. All of the characters are memorable, and this could easily be the first in a series.
Book Club Questions
- What do you think will happen to Mint and the other kids after the events of this book?
- Imagine there was a sequel. What would happen in it? Write the first chapter.
- Who was your favorite character and why?
- Do you think Kingston has more to learn about magic?
- Use the code from the Watch of 13 to write a note to a friend.
Interested? Buy Kingston and the Magician’s Lost and Found.
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