Eleven-year-old Cooper B., an introspective orphan with a portentous pendant, mysteriously appeared as an infant in Cooper, Maine, which became his namesake. After 11 foster homes, Cooper B. is sent to St. Mary’s Academy for Exceptional Youth by his strange social worker, Ms. Pedigree. Soon, the quartet of likable protagonists—human orphans curious Cooper, intelligent Aria Santiago, and bumbling redhead Miles O’Malley, plus pink-haired extraterrestrial Serra—overcome bullies, the child welfare system, and malicious aliens, forging new friendships in Serra’s world, Alyssum. Enrolling at Grayson Academy, the group uncovers sinister secrets about their school and about the revered crimson-hooded society of Bollcrees, who support the Absolute Council, the supposed saviors of ancient Alyssum. When Cooper and his friends learn that certain children can wield the Guild, or powers they must train to use, additional mysteries about Cooper’s personal history, Alyssum itself, and Grayson begin to materialize. Though events, settings, and characters bear strong resemblance to elements of the Harry Potter series, Leighton’s prose and humor flow well and his worldbuilding skills are compelling, resulting in an intriguing, energetically paced series starter. Ages 10–up. (Self-published)