Midnight Magic

Night after night, a ghost appears in the royal castle of Pergamontio, terrifying the princess. Mangus the Magician doesn't believe in ghosts, but that doesn't stop him from being charged with finding this one. The King demands that Mangus free his daughter from the torment of the ghost. . . otherwise, the magician will pay with his life. Mangus's only hope is his faithful, street-smart servant boy, Fabrizio, who must solve the mystery of the ghost using logic and reason -- and a bit of magic of his own.

Fabrizio, Magnus the Magician's new servant boy, must prove his master's innocence after he is accused of plotting to overthrow the king in this suspenseful new prequel to Midnight Magic from a Newbery Medalist.

In Italy, 1492, King Claudio sends Mangus the Magician and his faithful servant boy, Fabrizio, to Venice to steal a manuscript that explains a revolutionary way of accounting—double-entry bookkeeping. The manuscript is written by the most famous mathematician in the world, the Franciscan Friar, Luca Pacioli. And gaining knowledge of this bookkeeping method could secure one great profits. But Venice is a dangerous place, full of informers, prisons, and harsh punishments for those who steal its secrets. When Mangus is snatched away into prison, it is up to Fabrizio—and his mysterious new friend, Bianca—to navigate the countless islands and foggy canals to find Friar Pacioli before their enemies do, and to save Mangus from being executed.