THE DARK GROUND

Creative, mysterious fantasy bookends a woodland survival story in this provocative series opener. On an airplane with his family, Robert looks in a mirror, sees a tiny version of himself reflected in his eye, feels a hard crash, and wakes up naked in a forest. Scrabbling for food, water, and warmth, he tries to follow someone who’s shared furs and fruit, but he’s attacked by a mammoth bird and brought to a gargantuan tree—from where he can see his house across the park. Stunner: it turns out the tree is normal-sized, while Robert has somehow become minuscule. He joins the tiny others in their struggle to survive the enormous woods but finally decides to try crossing the park to see his family. The trek is heart-stoppingly dangerous. Shocking final events and the fact that the deadly serious questions aren’t answered (why do people shrink? what’s going on?) will leave readers breathless for the next installment. (Fantasy. 10-14)