Parents' Guide to Winston Chu vs. the Whimsies

While the pieces of this magical world fit together somewhat haphazardly, Chinese myths, a cool San Francisco setting, and the heartfelt bonds among friends and family more than make up for it. There's a great sense of whimsy, too, in the magical objects that do the unexpected. Kids will enjoy imagining the Kick-Me Boots loose in their school or throwing truth eggs at siblings. All of the objects create a little mischief, and so does Mr. Pang, who's more of a trickster than a villain, with tons of secrets that Winston and his friends begin to unravel. His connection to the moon is revealed quite late in the story, which is somewhat confusing, but it's still clear that Mr. Pang is up to no good for yet one more reason and must be stopped. As the story progresses, the kids get a whiff of the bigger villain, but it's mostly set up for Book 2.

The grounding of this magical tale is in its wonderful relationships. Winston and his soccer buddies are always there for each other, even after they argue. This is the let's-go-get-‘em middle school crew you want when you're facing off against rogue spirits and a shop full of temperamental enchanted objects. And then there's Winston's family, who are still grieving the loss of Winston's dad. Winston wants the best for his mom, who's job hunting and always needs extra help with his little sister. And he's so careful with his prickly older sister, wishing and hoping for them to be close again. The real magic happens as these siblings forge a new bond and talk about their grief. Because of this, when things get creepy with spirits and an imposter in the family -- thanks, Mr. Pang -- it never gets too scary-creepy. The focus stays on relationships, learning Mr. Pang's secrets and fighting his bizarre knickknacks, and saving the day.