Gleam

Willy Wonka meets Harry Potter in this funny, magical, and adventure-filled middle grade novel. Perfect for fans of Amari and the Night Brothers, Nevermoor, and The Mysterious Benedict Society.

Meet Semma Wakefield, a twelve-year-old orphan with a heart bigger than a giant Schmill and a desperate wish to have a family again. Her hope surges when a message from her long-lost uncle, the infamous Doctor of ExtraOrdinology, Larry Bumbrain, flies through her window. He's in a bit of a muddle in the unmapped town of Stuffmore. Now, her parents might have mysteriously vanished during one of his quests, but that's not stopping Semma and her twin sister Trooni—who's got a brain sharper than the horns on a poison spitting Hullux—from getting to him.

Stuffmore is a dream come true. Magical gadgets, outlandish abundance, and the most energetic and loving uncle you can imagine. But soon into their adventure, Semma begins developing a strange new power called a Gleam which lets her see stuff no one else can. It reveals a creepy invisible fog messing up people's minds, making them selfish and tearing families apart, with kids abandoned to the streets like stray puppies.

When no one believes her and she is ditched by her own family, she realizes she may be the only one who can reunite her family and save all the children. But to pull it off, she'll need to unleash the full potential of her Gleam, blast self-doubt and the fog back to the Dark Nothing, and discover the real magic of happiness.

A stand-alone novel and the first book of a series, "GLEAM" is a rollercoaster of heartwarming magic, family bonds, and self-discovery—perfect for readers who want to dive into a funny, imaginative adventure. Parents of middle grade children will appreciate the novel’s positive messages having to do with empathy, emotional intelligence, and valuing people above material things.

How would the characters describe this story? Let's find out!

Semma Wakefield: 12 years old. “Gleam is an emotional roller-coaster where I try to master a strange new inner power to save my broken family and hundreds of abandoned children from a creepy fog messing with people’s minds.”

Trooni Wakefield: Twin sister of Semma. 94 seconds older. “Glean is a factual account of how I: 1) achieved number one on Stuffmore’s elite Happiness List. 2) Nearly lost my sister. And 3) Did better than Rascal at everything.”

Rascal Spineguard: "13, I think." Cousin of the twins. “Gleam is a wacky adventure of how I (not Trooni) saved the day and all of Stuffmore. And not about how I cried one time.”

Larry Bumbrain, Doctor of Extraordinology: Uncle. Really old. “Why in the cosmos are you still reading this rather dull blurbity-blurb? Our quest to discover everlasting happiness and win the last piece of an ancient puzzle that could help us save the seven worlds is substantially more riveting if you read the words in the actual book, I dare say!”

Zippy McNutt: Wunkie. Chief Officer of Ropeology and Smellistics for Dr. Larry Bumbrain. “Wikki widdii wi.” (“Gleam is an epic tale of how I became famous, was welcomed into a new family, and stood up to people who called me a monkey – that means you Semma!”).

Mayor Stuffmore: 44. “Gleam depicts one man’s heroic efforts (me!) to prevent a group of downers from destroying Stuffmore—the happiest city in the seven worlds—because your happiness is my business.”

Mister Wister: Head Bridger and Finder of the Unfoundable for Dr. Larry Bumbrain.” Born in the Here and There 55 years ago. Second birth: 28 years ago. “Gleam is a magical and mysterious story of the seen and unseen, connection and abandonment, and where life’s riches are truly found.”