The Box and the Dragonfly

After stumbling into a mysterious building called the House of Answers, 12-year-old Horace F. Andrew's life becomes strange and wondrous. He leaves with a gleaming oval box, which he eventually discovers has the ability to send things forward in time, while letting him glimpse the future. At the same time, Horace meets Chloe, an enigmatic girl whose dragonfly talisman lets her walk through walls. Together, they learn that they have become Keepers of the Tan'ji, ancient artifacts as magical as they are scientific. As they attempt to keep the Tan'ji away from the malevolent Riven, Horace and Chloe are drawn into a perilous struggle of good versus evil. While Sanders (No Animals We Could Name) presents a gripping story full of neat ideas, and the chemistry between Horace and Chloe is sweet, some of the temporal hijinks overcomplicate an already convoluted plot (at one point, Horace has to fake a note from Chloe in order to satisfy a vision he's seen, for instance). Even so, this is an entertaining offering, and a fine start to the Keepers series. Ages 8%E2%80%9312. Author's agent: Miriam Altshuler, Miriam Altshuler Literary Agency. (Mar.)