The Lost Children

With a quirky and charming style that should draw in readers from the outset, Cohagan's debut is a gently creepy, captivating fantasy about loss, determination, and hope. Josephine is 12 years old and desperately lonely. One day, a mysterious boy, Fargus, appears at her house, mute and hungry. Fargus has been fascinated with Josephine ever since he found the “crack” between their worlds, but he never expected her to accidentally follow him back to the land of Gulm, ruled by the evil “Master,” where children are taken from their families and fear has hold of the townspeople. Fargus and his friend Ida escape with Josephine to avoid becoming the Master's next victims. When Josephine is separated from her friends and they are taken captive, she must determine her connection to the Master and confront him to rescue them. There are some brutal moments (Ida's parents are murdered in cold blood), but the atmosphere of peril is generally light and the puzzle of what happened to the missing children is managed well, without being too disturbing to the intended audience. Ages 8–12. (Feb.)