THE TWELVE

A caravan holiday in Wales turns into a desperate search for a missing and forgotten girl in this award-winning British import.

When 11-year-old Libby sneaks out to climb the Manorbier church tower at midnight during a winter solstice full moon, Kit, convinced that her overimaginative little sister is just getting carried away again, follows behind to keep her safe. But things go dramatically awry, and Kit awakens back in the caravan, at first convinced she’s had another nightmare. She soon realizes that all traces of Libby’s existence have vanished—including from their mum’s memory. Far from her London home, trying to ignore the cruel school bully who’s texting her and determined to find her sister, Kit is relieved to meet Story, a boy around her age who was abandoned by his mother and is living alone in his Nan’s caravan. Remarkably, Story remembers Libby. As the white-presenting teens investigate, they discover ancient lore, question which of the strange adults they encounter are trustworthy, and bond over their love for nature—Kit adores birds and Story is fascinated by the stars. Marrying wild magic with a passionate love for the natural world, this work holds strong appeal for fans of David Almond, Susan Cooper, and Cornelia Funke. De Freston’s spot art—depicting a hagstone, starlings in flight, a puffin, a circle of standing stones—contributes to a rich sense of place that makes the Pembrokeshire coast setting come alive.

An intense, timeless work that’s both literary and inviting.