The Unseen
by Zilpha Keatley Snyder
from Delacorte Books for Young Readers
Xandra Hobson has always been fascinated by magic. So when she rescues a beautiful wounded bird, she is convinced that the glowing white feather it leaves behind must be magical. When she brings the feather to school, she is surprised to find that Belinda is interested in it, too. Belinda is a weird girl whom everybody makes fun of. Xandra doesn’t want to be seen with her, but Belinda seems to know something about the feather—so Xandra decides to befriend her. Belinda calls the feather a key.
But a key to what? And how does it work? When Xandra tries to use the key, she becomes aware of an unseen world, full of phantoms. Some are soft and cuddly, like the young animals she has rescued. But others are terrifying monsters. Could the key’s magic be evil? Xandra needs Belinda to help her explore the unseen, but she also needs to learn to help herself if the key is to become a gift and not a nightmare.
The Ghosts Of Rathburn Park
Eleven-year-old Matthew Hamilton–a.k.a. The Hamster–is new in town, and just about the first thing he does is get lost in the woods of Rathburn Park. It’s a typical boneheaded thing to do, and Matt is trying to decide whether starvation is preferable to the embarrassment of a rescue party when a little dog trots past him. Matt senses that the dog wants him to follow, but as soon as they emerge from the trees, the dog vanishes.
Matt keeps wondering about the dog as he starts to learn more about the town’s strange past. Owned by a wealthy family named Rathburn, the whole town burned down decades ago and was rebuilt nearby. The old ruins are still hidden in the forest, too rickety and dangerous to go near. But they are also best avoided for another reason–ghosts. Still, Matt can’t resist looking for the dog, and as he’s looking, he meets a girl dressed in antique clothes who calls herself Amelia Rathburn. Are she and the dog both ghosts? Or is there another explanation for the strange goings-on in Rathburn Park?
From the Hardcover edition.
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