Middle school is hard enough without a legendary creature suddenly appearing in your neighborhood and asking you for skateboarding lessons. Twelve-year-old Raia lives in Jackson Heights, Queens, loves video games, and is doing her best to keep her grades up. But when Bazzu the Buraq (a magical horse-bird-lion) appears, her life will never be the same.

Raia, a middle school student in New York City, has often felt like the odd one out at school. So when she meets Bazzu the buraq, a legendary creature, who offers to show her a world of folklore and magic in return for skateboarding lessons, she’s eager to accept. Together, Raia and Bazzu get up to misadventures and explore the world of legends, a fascinating and harmonious community of mythical creatures from all cultures. But as she grows more distant from her real-world friends and family, Raia will have to learn how to balance magic and reality.