Malamander

In this endearingly strange middle grade adventure set against the backdrop of a seaside resort town during the off-season, two orphans are caught up in a local legend. In the appropriately named Eerie-on-Sea, Herbert Lemon, 12, works at the Grand Nautilus Hotel as a lost-and-founder, responsible for maintaining lost items. When Violet Parma, also 12, asks him to help find her parents, who went missing from the hotel when she was an infant, the resulting search quickly takes a turn for the weird. Violet’s parents’ disappearance connects to the local story of the malamander, a half-man, half-fish creature whose egg is believed to grant wishes. Everyone wants that egg, from local writer Sebastian Eels to the hook-handed “Boat Hook Man,” to the Grand Nautilus’s intimidating owner, Lady Kraken. Taylor (Haunters) combines atmospheric descriptions with tongue-in-cheek humor, off-kilter concepts (a mechanical mermonkey that “prescribes” books), and quirky characters to create an unusual series opener. Meanwhile, exaggerated, stylized illustrations from Booth (This Is Christmas) bring both cast and setting to life, capturing the feel of this fantastical, energetic mystery. Ages 8–12. [em](Sept.) [/em]