The Door

Teenage Hannah Silver has an unusual life: she lives in a lighthouse with a mysterious door that is always kept closed, and she hears the voices of an old woman named Belinda and a girl her own age named Nancy, who give her advice and warn her of invisible dangers on the stairs, in her head. Then her mother tells her that their family has the responsibility of being “guardians” of the door, which leads to the world of the dead. When her mother is murdered, Hannah goes through the door to the world of the dead to find her. Narrator Allyson Ryan creates distinctive voices for hesitant Hannah, elderly Belinda, and the many colorful characters Hannah meets on the other side of the door. But she tends to use the same calm, measured tone for all the narrative parts, whether they’re descriptions or tense action scenes—there is not enough variety in her delivery.. In addition, the convoluted tale doesn’t translate well to the audio medium: when listening, it’s too easy to lose the thread of the meandering plot or miss a detail that turns out to be important. This is a tale best read in print, so the reader can easily refer back to previous scenes if necessary. Ages 8–12. A Scholastic Press hardcover. (May)