THE FORGOTTEN SUMMER OF SENECA

An African American tween from Long Island finds herself in another dimension with residents of a historical village.

Twelve-year-old Rowan once loved spending the summer in Manhattan with her paternal aunt Monica. But ever since her father’s death, she’s had no interest in things she once enjoyed. After her mother insists, Rowan finds herself back at Aunt Monica’s, a place she painfully associates with her dad. Wandering around Central Park taking pictures with his old-fashioned camera, which she treasures, leads to an unbelievable adventure when Rowan stumbles through a portal into another time. She meets a girl named Lily who tells her she’s in Seneca Village, where people have magical abilities. Lily also shares the fact that Sage, a girl from the village, recently went missing. Rowan meets community elder Auntie Alma, who believes the portal may be malfunctioning, potentially threatening their way of life. After Rowan returns to her own time, she does research and confirms that Seneca Village was a real place, founded by free Black people and razed in 1857 to create Central Park. When Rowan returns to the village, she gets caught up in the search for Sage as well as efforts to repair the portal and preserve the hidden magical place. In her fresh, engaging, and surprise-filled middle-grade debut, celebrated YA author Garrett successfully blends genres. Rowan is an entertaining and engaging protagonist who’s surrounded by an interesting supporting cast.

A thoughtful coming-of-age narrative infused with fantasy and history.