Riverland

Fran Wilde's Riverland is the story of two sisters who must journey to a magical world to save their home in this stunning middle-grade novel--winner of the Andre Norton Nebula Award. When things go bad at home, sisters Eleanor and Mike hide in a secret place under Eleanor's bed, telling stories about how one day, their real parents will come and save them. Often, it seems those stories and their mother's house magic are all that keep them safe from busybodies and their dad's temper. But when their father breaks a family heirloom, a glass witch ball, a river suddenly appears beneath the bed, and Eleanor and Mike fall into a world where dreams are born, nightmares struggle to break into the real world, and secrets have big consequences. Full of both adventure and heart, Riverland is a story about the bond between two sisters and how they must make their own magic to protect each other and save the ones they love. "Wilde approaches the difficult subjects of domestic violence and emotional abuse with the care and respectful treatment that they deserve, using the fantastic to symbolize and illuminate the complex emotions her characters experience. About courage and truth overcoming denial and fear, Riverland is an important book." --Shelf Awareness (Starred Review)