Lia Park and the Missing Jewel
Perfect for fans of the Storm Runner and Aru Shah series, this “intriguing, fast-paced” (Kirkus Reviews) middle grade fantasy follows a young girl who must venture to the undersea kingdom of the Dragon King in Korea to save her parents from an evil diviner spirit.
Twelve-year old Lia Park just wants to fit in. Her parents work with a mysterious organization that makes them ridiculously overprotective. Lia’s every move has been scrutinized since she was born, and she’d love to have the option of doing something exciting for once. So when she gets invited to the biggest birthday party of the year—and her parents say she can’t go—Lia sneaks out.
But her first act of rebellion not only breaks her parents’ rules, but also an ancient protection spell, allowing an evil diviner spirit to kidnap and ransom her parents for a powerful jewel that her family has guarded for years. With just the clothes on her back and some very rusty magical skills, Lia finds herself chasing mysterious clues that take her to her grandmother’s home in Korea.
From there, she has to make their way to the undersea kingdom of the Dragon King, the only person who knows where the powerful jewel might be. Along with her friend, Joon, Lia must dig deep and find courage to stand up for those who are weak—and become the hero her parents need.
Publisher: Aladdin / Simon & Schuster (May 2, 2023)
Length: 368 pages
ISBN13: 9781534487949
Grades: 3 – 7
Ages: 8 – 12
Lexile ® 590L
“Fun and fast-paced, this debut novel will please the Rick Riordan Presents crowd.” – Booklist Online
“Lia Park is an exciting new protagonist in the fantasy adventure scene.” – School Library Journal
“An intriguing, fast-paced fantasy adventure.” – Kirkus Reviews
Lia Park and the Heavenly Heirlooms
Perfect for fans of the Gifted Clans and Aru Shah series, this thrilling second book of the middle grade fantasy Lia Park series sees Lia and Joon on a mission to protect important magical objects—and themselves—from a mysterious enemy.
Twelve-year-old Lia Park and her best friend, Joon, are now full-time students at International Magic School after defeating corrupt diviner Gaya, and their first assignment is an ambitious one. The evil nine-headed monster and King of Darkness, Jihagukdaejeok, wants to destroy the three Heavenly Heirlooms that create fire and light to plunge the world into darkness and destroy humanity.
The heirlooms can only be destroyed if they are all together, so over time, they have been hidden carefully with magic. Except now, one of them is missing. Lia, Joon, and their classmates have been tasked with recovering the lost heirloom and bringing it to IMA for safekeeping. They expected the task to be difficult, but the number of obstacles the magic trainees run into makes Lia start to wonder if the sabotage could be coming from someone inside the school.
Publisher: Aladdin / Simon & Schuster (May 30, 2023)
Length: 352 pages
ISBN13: 9781534487963
Grades: 3 – 7
Ages: 8 – 12
“Strong worldbuilding continues to provide a captivating magical universe inspired by Korean mythology. Grounding the story is the platonic relationship between Lia and Joon, which realistically portrays the tension between establishing your own identity while preserving a close friendship. Meaningful cultural connections provide a solid foundation for this inventive fantasy adventure.” – Kirkus Reviews