The Castle in the Mist

Ephron (Loose Diamonds) draws on elements common to classic children’s stories—secrets gardens, powerful wishes—in her first book for young readers. Tess, 11, and her younger brother, Max, are sent to live with their widowed Aunt Evie in the English countryside for the summer, where they spend their days playing Monopoly, fighting, and helping Aunt Evie in her garden. After a particularly nasty fight with Max, Tess finds a rusted key that magically opens the gates to the estate next door. Within them are a magnificent garden, a castle, and a boy Tess’s age named William. Tess, Max, and William forge a friendship, but something is amiss, and Tess isn’t sure what it is. Ephron spends a great deal of time explaining characters’ motivations, and the overall narrative arc feels rushed. Though there are moments of wonder, such as a carousel that runs on wish-granting, these are undercut by Ephron’s need to clarify and oversimplify events (“Aunt Evie was lying to them, but they didn’t know that”) at the expense of a fully developed plot. Ages 8–12. Agent: Kari Stuart, ICM. (Feb.)