Saving the Griffin — Kristen Wolden Nitz

For Kate, ordinary life in Minnesota is just a memory, especially when she and her brothers discover a magical baby griffin while vacationing in a small Italian town. Suddenly, they find themselves in an extraordinary magical adventure of mystery and a whole world of trouble.
Kate's father's work has brought the family overseas to a countryside estate in Tuscany. Kate spends much of her time with her younger brother, nine-year-old Michael, roaming the beautiful estate grounds. When they find a lost baby griffin―a strange, fantastical creature with colorful downy feathers and tufts of fur―they are swept into a journey of excitement and fear, marked by the sinister Prince Eduardo.
Kate and Michael try to keep Grifonino safe and his existence a secret, but greedy paparazzi and eager scientists threaten the creature's safety. With the help of their older brother Stephen, the siblings set out to return the magical creature to his mysterious home.
In this enchanted mixture of fantasy and adventure, author Kristin Wolden Nitz presents realistic characters with complex relationships, creating a story that middle readers will be sure to return to again and again.