The Mysterious Disappearance of Aidan S. (as Told to His Brother)

It's great to step into a magical wardrobe and be transported to a fantastic world, but what happens when you come back? Returning from a magical place called Aveinieu with a royal blue leaf in his hair, 12-year-old Aidan finds he's been missing for six days, his inexplicable disappearance resulting in a massive, town-wide search as well as endless police questioning of his family and best friend. But joy over his safe return quickly turns to unease about his inability to account for the time--Aidan knows he won't be believed, and his exhausted parents don't know whether to be worried or furious. His brother, 11-year-old Lucas, previously duped by Aidan's fanciful stories, tries to catch him in inconsistencies in a brotherly arc that moves toward emotional support. Via Lucas's urgent narration, Levithan (19 Love Songs) validates both Lucas's real-world experience and Aidan's post-portal mourning, telling a well-paced story about the collision of realities in the vein of Laura E. Weymouth and Seanan McGuire. Ages 8-12. Agent: Bill Clegg, the Clegg Agency. (Feb.)

When Lucas's 12-year-old brother, Aidan, disappears for six days, his family and friends are frantic with worry. But equally concerning is the fantastical story Aidan tells when he reappears six days later. It's hard to believe, yet Aidan stands by his claim that he traveled, via the attic dresser, to another world. Eleven-year-old Lucas wants to believe his brother, but it's hard when the tale seems impossible and everyone, including their concerned parents, the police, and their friends thinks Aidan is hiding the truth. In the evenings, though, after a day of managing questions and navigating escalating tension at home and at school, Aidan tells Lucas about a place called Aveinieu, where the trees have royal blue leaves and the fireflies flash in different colors. A wondrous place that Aidan wishes he never had to leave. As Aidan inches toward reintegrating into his "real" life, Lucas begins to understand the importance of truly listening to—and believing—his brother. With authentic dialogue and a diverse cast of secondary characters, Levithan knits together timely questions of how we decide who to believe and our impulse to fit stories into recognizable narratives. VERDICT An insightful story, with echoes of Narnia, that will appeal to thoughtful and sophisticated readers.—Shelley Sommer, Inly Sch., Scituate, MA