THE HOUSE ON HOARDER HILL

For two English siblings, a stay with their magician grandfather turns into a challenging adventure to find their missing grandmother.

Eleven-year-old Hedy van Beer and her 8-year-old brother, Spencer, are taken to stay with their reclusive, eccentric Grandpa John while their archaeologist parents head to Spain on a dig. Hedy wants to go with them and dreads a boring time in an old house in a village with no friends, internet, or video games. However, she gets more excitement than she bargained for. Things start to go awry when the curious children venture into Grandpa John’s forbidden spaces in search of their Grandma Rose, who disappeared years ago during a bungled magic trick. Mysterious messages from Grandma Rose start to appear, and the children feel compelled to try to find her. A table from which things disappear, the talking comedy duo of a stag’s head and a bear’s pelt, creatures who skitter around under the floorboards, a ghostly piano player, and various weird and wonderful characters materialize. As the children investigate their grandfather’s history, their mission gets darker, leading to a dramatic denouement in which Hedy uses all her courage to battle evil magical forces. Hedy and Spencer, who read as White, also discover interesting news about their family history. The book may be long, but the plot twists are gripping enough to sustain readers’ attention. The end hints at a sequel.

Never mess with magic—it may come back to bite you.