The Munchkins - by Candice Zee (Hardcover)

About the Book

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children meets Stranger Things.

Book Synopsis

*Gold Award Winner of Teen Category in the 2021-2022 Reader Views Literary Awards

* 2021 Story Monsters Approved Award in Tween Novels

* 16th Annual National Indie Excellence Awards Finalist in Juvenile Fiction

The Munchkins "has all the "ingredients" for a fantastical, magical, YA story that also caters to adults who absolutely love the Potter-esque world that happens maybe twice in a lifetime." - Reader Views

Thirteen extraordinary children with mysterious powers.

Their loving and protective father.

And a sociopathic neighbor who knows them better than they know themselves.

When Capricorn Munch and her twelve siblings appear outside a children's home, no one, including themselves, knows who they are or where they came from. At ten years old they stop aging, as she and her siblings develop powers that gift them with incredible abilities, like healing wounds and manifesting objects. They keep these powers secret and their adoptive father restricts their use. Capricorn strives to live a normal life, blissfully playing with her favorite sisters, witty and bold Allie, empathic and wise Breezy, and giddy and sweet Hazy.

But now a sudden threat has intruded on their carefree lives: Their next-door neighbor, a man who calls himself Big Boss. Capricorn watches fretfully as Big Boss encroaches on her family like a malevolent force, feeding hostility between her siblings and causing them to be reckless with their powers. Capricorn knows Big Boss is plotting something sinister and can only pray it doesn't end in ultimate doom for her and her family.

"Told in a fast-paced narrative voice with complex characters, the exhilarating fantasy will keep readers guessing until the very end-all while falling in love with the quirky cast. The book deserved to be made into a movie or a web series." - The Prairies Book Review

Review Quotes

"What a dark, gripping, & suspenseful read! The writing is what blew me away the most about this-it's phenomenal."-Belle's Middle Grade

"A Harry Potter-type fantasy that will keep young readers enraptured from beginning to end."- Emily-Jane Hills Orford, Readers' Favorite

"A study of the superhero story as universal human motivation to confront existential realities." -Vincent Dublado, Readers' Favorite

"As the siblings struggle to confront a growing evil and support one another, readers are drawn into a tale replete with magic, insight, and unexpected twists and turns, all woven into an adventure of connection and evolving abilities." - D. Donovan, Senior Reviewer, Midwest Book Review

"Magically mesmerizing and moving... A thrilling ride. An emotional roller coaster of a close-knit family in crisis, tempered by a touch of magic and resilience and highly likable protagonists. There is plenty of suspense, and the action never slows down: Zee constantly jacks up the tension, ricocheting from catastrophe to disaster." - The Prairies Book Review

"I was on the edge of my seat as the plot became more and more terrifying." -Kristine Zimmerman, Readers' Favorite

"You will pick at least one character to fall in love with here. Capricorn is highly intelligent; Allie has the humor; Hazy is absolutely sweet...and the list goes on. This was written well enough to see at least a TV or Internet series created from this fantastically fun cast. 5-Stars!" - Amy Lignor, Reader Views