After inheriting a grieving fox spirit, a Chinese American boy must learn to embrace his heritage to solve the mystery of his brother’s death in Jesse Q Sutanto’s magical, action-packed middle grade fantasy, Theo Tan and the Fox Spirit.
Theo Tan doesn’t want a spirit companion. He just wants to be a normal American kid, playing video games, going to conventions, and using cirth pendants to cast his spells like everyone else. But, when his older brother dies, Theo ends up inheriting Jamie’s fox spirit, Kai.
Kai isn’t happy about this either. Theo is nothing like Jamie, and the two of them have never gotten along. But, when they realize the mysterious journal Jamie left Theo is filled with clues and secret codes, it’s clear that something strange was going on with Jamie’s internship at Reapling Corp.
But the only way onto the campus is the highly competitive “Know Your Roots” summer camp program, a celebration of Chinese and Indian cultures designed to help connect students with their heritage. Theo and Kai will have to put aside their differences long enough to honor Jamie’s last wishes, or the mystery he died for will remain unsolved forever…
Praise for Theo Tan and the Fox Spirit
“”Heart-felt and heart-pounding, this book will have you cheering Theo on as he sets out to find the magic of his heritage! (Both figurative and literal!)” –Xiran Jay Zhao, #1 New York Times-bestselling author of Iron Widow
“This is a natural choice for kids who like Rick Riordan’s brand of mythology-fueled fantasy adventures, and it will be an especially good read-alike for Laurence Yep’s classic Tiger’s Apprentice series, another action-packed fantasy with a distinct Asian perspective that pairs ancient Chinese mythology with modern San Francisco.” –Booklist
“Kai, the wily fox spirit, is a star, all sass and blustery confidence covering up her shattered heart, bereft of her human companion. Her shapeshifting is a boon to their quest, and it carries them both as Theo slowly comes into his own as a smart, capable co-hero in their adventure.” –BCCB
“In Theo and Kai’s alternating perspectives, Sutanto weaves the duo’s shared grief and path to healing with Theo’s journey toward embracing his Chinese heritage in this rewarding fantasy adventure.” –Publishers Weekly
“Readers dependent on their own technological devices might take a lesson from the book’s message about finding resources within—or perhaps they’ll just enjoy this engrossing mystery set among ancient Chinese spirit grudges and modern-day corporate malfeasance.” –The Horn Book
