The Lion of Lark-Hayes Manor

Expected to keep to herself in a family of big personalities, book-obsessed sixth grader Poppy Woodlock actively seeks out magic. When her parents, an architect and a historic preservation officer, take on a fixer-upper in Oregon’s Lark-Hayes Manor, Poppy can tell that the house contains not just a hidden past but “a secret present,” too. After Poppy encounters an exiled water nymph in the mouldering building’s indoor pool, she’s granted a wish in exchange for handing over a copy of her favorite book: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. Poppy asks for a magical lion, like Narnia’s Aslan, and receives a winged lion cub that she names Sampson. But a catch soon reveals itself: for every night Sampson grows in the mortal realm, a book vanishes, and only Poppy will remember it ever existing. At first, the price seems a small one to pay for real magic, but the disappearance of a family journal prompts her to reconsider: in losing the books and memories that shaped them, her loved ones are also losing their passions and inspirations. Tonally reminiscent of classic children’s fantasies, Hartman’s debut layers slice-of-life concerns—bickering parents, new-kid trials—with a high-concept premise, making for a winning novel focused on literary influence and everyday magic. Poppy and her mother have olive skin; other characters default to white. Ages 8–12. Agent: Molly O’Neill, Root Literary. (May)