A bashful boy searches for his vanished best friend in a magical world.Jaden Powers, a timid Black 12-year-old, doesn't want to face seventh grade without his all-star, private school–going best friend, Elijah Williams, by his side. When Elijah disappears, Jaden demonstrates an unexpected gift of magic and vows to unravel the truth behind what happened to him. Soon Jaden is invited to join the Five Emergences School of Magic, where he'll learn how to become a Sorcerer-just like Elijah, it turns out. Shepherded by the enigmatic headmaster, Simeon Carmine, Jaden steps into the magical world of Wonder. There, rumors abound of Elijah's siphoning magic from others, behavior that's connected with the sudden appearance of the Ruin, a dark, potentially world-ending force. Aided by classmate Mikael Levine and water nymph Scion Midra from the kingdom of Atlantis, Jaden seeks to clear Elijah's name. Though familiar in its evocation of narrative and character tropes, Perry spins fine intrigue through compelling worldbuilding that's anchored by an amiable hero who unearths his inner strength thanks to compassion and determination. Eccentric bits of humor add flair to Wonder and its diverse, predominantly Black, cast. Meanwhile, the core relationship between Jaden and Elijah-which is full of love and loyalty-endures.Utterly hypnotic. (Fantasy. 8-12)

Gr 3–7— Twelve-year-old Jaden Powers is dreading the end of the summer vacation when his best friend Elijah will depart for boarding school, leaving him behind with his overprotective parents, lonely days in junior high, and a pesky little brother. Jaden is looking forward to spending Elijah's first weekend home from school hanging out, when an unexpected tragedy takes Elijah away from Jaden and everyone else who loved him. When Jaden cries over a mysterious notebook that he finds at Elijah's memorial service, it suddenly reveals a secret world of magic. Jaden soon learns that Elijah hasn't been going to a fancy private school, and that he is actually a very powerful magician attending a school of sorcery in a hidden realm called Wonder. Jaden's grief at the loss of Elijah seems to have awakened magic within him, too, and he travels to Wonder to become a student of sorcery and save his best friend along with the rest of the world. This middle grade fantasy contains tropes reminiscent of classic wizard school stories like Harry Potter. Nevertheless, in creating a hero of a seemingly typical African American preteen boy and portraying the values of friendship, perseverance, self-confidence, compassion, and imagination, this novel does cover new ground in what is familiar literary terrain. VERDICT While not an essential purchase for junior high library collections, this will appeal to those enchanted by tales of wizard school adventures.— Kelly Kingrey-Edwards