Moondial

In a fantasy novel by the author of the Bagthorpe saga, Mintyshort for Aramintais spending the summer with her Aunt Mary, who lives next to old Belton House. Minty can sense things other people can't, and she finds she must help two tormented children, Tom and Sarah, from Belton House's past. The children appear as ghosts, stuck in their miserable lives until Minty can set them free. Meanwhile, Minty's mother has been seriously injured in a car accident. Hoping to release her mother from the spell of a coma, Minty tells her the story of the rescue of Tom and Sarah in cliff-hanging installations. While the timely role of the sundial-moondial will surprise few, Cresswell, with her sure hand for dialogue and believable characters, does a masterful job of making the story fresh and entertaining. Ages 10-14. (October)