The Queen of Ocean Parkway - by Sarvenaz Tash

Book Synopsis

An 11-year-old podcaster-turned-sleuth teams up with the new kid in the building to find their missing neighbor! A captivating adventure perfect for fans of When You Reach Me and Only Murders in the Building.

Eleven-year-old Roya is the superintendent's kid in her regal Brooklyn apartment building, so she knows pretty much everything there is to know about its residents. An aspiring reporter, she even hosts a secret podcast about the lives of the building's tenants. It's a good distraction from the problems in her own life.

But when Katya Petrov, one of her favorite tenants, goes missing, Roya discovers an eerie connection to Grandmother's Predictions, an antique fortune-telling machine at Coney Island. "Grandmother" has been linked to multiple disappearances in the Petrov family over the last century. Now, with the help of a new friend who's just moved in, it's up to Roya to make her own headlines as she searches for Katya and attempts to break the Petrov curse once and for all.

Review Quotes

"A charming, warm-hearted tale that reads like a classic. This book is for the kids who curl up in corners of the library, reading for hours at a time and daydreaming of mystery and adventure. Themes of family, friendship, and courage abound, and Roya and Amin make for a truly delightful and dynamic duo." --Claire Legrand, New York Times bestselling author of Some Kind of Happiness

"A clever feat of physics and fun. Sarvenaz Tash is an expert at writing bold concepts with masterful nuance and tenderness. I love this mystery!" --Lauren Magaziner, author of the Case Closed series

"Hand to fans of Ellen Raskin and Rebecca Stead. . . . this book provides the right level of mystery, daring characters who learn to stand up for their friends, and a big-hearted ending that'll wrap you in a hug." --Booklist

"Dusted with speculative elements, this cozy and surprising mystery by Tash features appealing and perceptively drawn characters coping with genuinely wrought emotions in a vivid setting." --Publishers Weekly

"An intrepid mystery with unexpected sci-fi ­elements, this story packs an emotional punch similar to Kelly Yang's Front Desk." --School Library Journal

"Entirely original, and the characters are distinct individuals whose worries, quirks, and foibles will engage readers' sympathies" --Kirkus Reviews

About the Author

Sarvenaz Tash was born in Tehran, Iran, grew up on Long Island, and graduated with a BFA in Film and Television from NYU. Her YA novels include The Geek's Guide to Unrequited Love and A Whole Song and Dance. Though her books run the gamut of genres and age groups, they're tied together by her strong voice and affinity for joyful, diverse, humorous stories with heart. She has dabbled in all sorts of writing including screenwriting, copywriting, and professional tweeting for the likes of Bravo and MTV. Sarvenaz currently lives in Brooklyn with her family.