• Age: 8 to 12
• Grade: 3 to 7

Featuring a failed young wizard and her cleanup crew, this delightfully dysfunctional middle grade fantasy is an imaginative twist on magic school that’s perfect for fans of Nevermoor and The School for Good and Evil.

Cara Moone is a wizard—but she’s basically flunked out of wizard school. Now she’s in training to be a MOP, also known as Magical Occurrence Purger, also known as it’s Cara’s job to sweep up the hazardous dust a real wizard’s spells leave behind.

A real wizard, that is, like Harlee Wu, the so-called Chosen One destined to save the magical world. But when one of Harlee’s spells goes awry and leaves behind a rift in the fabric of magic itself, it'll take more than magic to clean up the mess.

Luckily, messes are kind of Cara’s thing.

Magic is messy—and fantastically fun—in this underdog story packed with humor, adventure, and attitude.

Lee Edward Födi is an author, illustrator, and specialized arts educator—or, as he likes to think of himself, a daydreaming expert. He is the author of several books for children, including The Secret of Zoone and The Guardians of Zoone. He is a co-founder of the Creative Writing for Children Society (CWC), a not-for-profit program that helps kids write their own books. He has the joy of leading workshops for kids in Canada, the US, Korea, China, Thailand, and other places here and there. Lee lives in Vancouver, where he shares a creative life with his wife Marcie and son Hiro. You can visit him at www.leefodi.com.

Lee Edward Fodi's profile page

“Snarky and resilient, Cara is a memorable heroine with an engaging narrative voice and a unique perspective.” — Publishers Weekly

Praise for The Secret of Zoone: “Heartwarming and enchanting, Födi’s vocabulary-stretching portal fantasy is a great fit for readers who want something sweet and fun.” — ALA Booklist

“Full of colorful characters. A promising start for a new series.” — Kirkus Reviews

“The world-building is detailed and rich; readers will want to travel the tracks to visit different worlds and stroll the magical market.” — School Library Journal

“Surprising revelations and plenty of humor keep the story fresh, and the good-vs.-evil plotline is nicely nuanced. A spirited and magical underdog story.” — Kirkus Reviews

"An energetic and exciting story for any reader who loves Harry Potter and enjoys the idea of attending wizarding school." — School Library Journal