The Revenge of Magic

Gr 4–7—Monsters rising up from under Washington, DC, herald the return of magic in this series starter. Twelve-year-old Fort Fitzgerald thought having his father embarrass him at the Lincoln Memorial was bad, but watching his dad disappear underground in a monster's claw was infinitely worse. It turns out that magic reappeared approximately 13 years earlier, and only kids born after that time have the ability to wield it. Months later, Fort is invited to apply to a special school for magical training—a school where the adults all seem afraid of the students. Fort dreams of revenge, but his abilities seem to be leading him to healing—or are they? Fellow students Cyrus, Rachel, Jia, and Sebastian, along with former students Sierra and Damien, help and hinder in Fort's quest to figure out why he can suddenly read minds and steal magic from other students. Readers never really get to know any of the characters well (the adults are particularly opaque), but the brisk pace, mild humor, and magical mayhem will definitely find an audience.