Maggie and the Story Shadows by Annabelle Oh

Maggie and the Story Shadows

Annabelle Oh

Disney Publishing Group · Hardcover · August 12, 2025

Land of Stories meets On Air with Zoe Washington in this fantastical middle grade mystery where three kids' search for a missing mother leads them to a world where every story ever told is real—making a hit web series about their search along the way.

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Who it’s for
A missing-mother mystery opens into a world where every story ever told is real.
Themes
Searching for a missing parent, Friendship and teamwork, Magic and storybook worlds
Pacing
Fast

About this book

Land of Stories meets On Air with Zoe Washington in this fantastical middle grade mystery where three kids' search for a missing mother leads them to a world where every story ever told is real—making a hit web series about their search along the way. Five months ago, Maggie Woodrow’s mom disappeared without a trace. Now, the world has given up the search and Maggie and her dad may lose their house.

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But Maggie has a plan: hire a private investigator, find her mom, and everything will go back to normal. When the private investigator wants $3,000 to take on Maggie’s case, she knows just who to turn to: Griffin, the school’s entrepreneur-influencer. Maggie and her friend Petra approach him for help. Intrigued by Maggie’s mom’s story, Griffin agrees to film the investigation and create a web series, splitting the profits with Maggie. Except their search takes a totally unexpected turn when they are sucked into a world where every story ever told is real—and so is magic. From Sherlock Holmes to Baba Yaga to terrifying mythical monsters, Maggie and her new friends never know what’s around the corner. Still, they are determined to work together and uncover the truth about Maggie’s mom. As Maggie, Griffin, and Petra close in on the answers they seek, a mysterious (and dangerous) man known as The Reaper sends increasingly deadly threats after them. Will they find Maggie’s mom? Or will their own disappearance become the latest mystery?

Mystery Meets Magic

A missing-mother mystery opens into a world where every story ever told is real.

Come here for

  • A determined search, filmed as a web series
  • Storybook figures and mythical monsters sharing the same strange world

Expect

  • Three friends working together as danger closes in
  • A fantastical mystery with a lively, unpredictable feel

Where it sits

Magic & Fantasy94%
Action & Adventure72%
Mysteries & Detective Stories50%

Percentages are BookFrontier’s reading of the book.

Publisher categories

  • Asian Myths & Legends
  • Mysteries & Detective Stories
  • Magic & Fantasy
Authors
Annabelle Oh
Publisher
Disney Publishing Group
Published
August 12, 2025
Format
Hardcover
Theme
Searching for a missing parent · Friendship and teamwork · Magic and storybook worlds
Reading lane
Asian Myths & Legends