Secret ballrooms, hidden artwork and unlikely friends—welcome to the Regency. The city plans to demolish it. Jake feels powerless. And then he’s summoned to apartment 713, an apartment he has been told is off-limits. When he opens the door… he travels to the past. Alongside Beth, his new friend and guide, Jake begins searching for any clue that might help him save the Regency. As their friendship blooms, the mystery around the building’s makers deepens. The Regency’s own storied past will give Jake the key to saving his own future—if only he knows where to look.

Jake Simmons hates his new home: an old, run-down mid-19th century apartment building called the Regency. A recent end to his mom’s job and relationship have led them both to “end” up at the Regency, with its peeling wallpaper and rickety elevator.

More out of boredom than a genuine interest in the building, Jake starts helping the superintendent, Danny, perform strange duties to help the remaining residents. But as Jake learns to see more in the building and the people still living there, he starts to feel at home – so much, in fact, that when the city threatens to tear it down, Jake is determined to save it. But a forbidden visit to Apartment 713 sends Jake back in time to the early 1900s and face-to-face with one of the building’s original residents. Beth shows Jake many of the building’s original treasures and helps him discover the one way that might save the building’s future – if he could only figure out how to get back to the present.

Apartment 713 is a heart-warming story about a down-and-out teen who discovers the value of community. Sylvester builds characters that are believable and intriguing, especially Jake, the main character, and Beth, his friend from the past. The plot takes several twists and turns as Jake learns the mysteries behind the building’s architectural features and its interesting past. Sylvester accurately depicts characters from the past while mixing details of culture and architecture with wit and humor. The book includes appearances of many cultural icons such as Babe Ruth, Louis Armstrong and Georgia O’Keefe, and shows the value of significant and historical places as centers of arts, culture and community.

Apartment 713 is a great investment of time and resources for all readers. Complete with illustrations by the author, the book will definitely take up valuable real estate in the kidlit market.

— James Steeves