The Wikkeling

Arntson makes his children's debut with this quirky, sometimes ambling adventure. Henrietta lives in a society so tightly controlled and regimented that parents can monitor their children every moment of the day, and teachers can judge a student's progress instantaneously. Relentlessly barraged by advertising, stifled by safety requirements, and suffocated by overzealous adults, Henrietta yearns for freedom. Her old house may be unfashionable by modern standards, but when Henrietta discovers its secret attic, it becomes a welcome haven. After she finds a near-mythical Wild House Cat and nurses it back to health, it gives her a purpose, as well as an opportunity to make friends with two like-minded schoolmates. Things get weird, however, when an ominous, enigmatic creature known as the Wikkeling starts stalking them. While striking, Terrazzini's illustrations (including entries from an ancient bestiary that Henrietta's step-grandfather gives her) can feel peripheral to the story, which rests uncertainly between a dystopian novel and a fantasy in the vein of the Spiderwick Chronicles; despite its many compelling elements, they fall short of forming a cohesive whole. Ages 8%E2%80%9312. (June)