Where the Lost Ones Go

Gr 4-7--Eliot is a Japanese American girl who is grieving the recent loss of Babung, her grandmother, when she and her parents move from California to Maine. She is determined to find Babung's ghost so she can say goodbye. When she dares to ring the doorbell at the supposed witch's house, Honeyfield Hall, she thinks that this might be the perfect opportunity to find some ghosts (hopefully Babung's). Eliot begins helping out around Honeyfield Hall and discovers a skeleton key that allows her to travel to the Hollow, where ghosts are stuck and unable to travel beyond the veil to be at peace. Eliot, with the help of her crush Hazel, vows to help these ghosts to find their missing memories so they can move on before all of their memories fade and the Hollow collapses. This is a beautiful story that explores grief and friendship with a touch of fantasy. It acknowledges that there is no one way to process grief; Eliot's parents' attempt to protect her from the pain of losing Babung by not talking about her, which contrasts Eliot's strong desire to remember her grandmother. Bowman perfectly captures the struggle of being the new kid in town and trying to fit in when you feel completely out of place. While not a scary ghost story, there are some suspenseful moments, including some unexpected twists and a very satisfying ending. VERDICT A captivating story that will appeal to readers who love a mystery, have experienced loss, or anyone who has searched for friendship in a new place.--Kristin Williamson

Roseheart, Maine, is the fresh start that Eliot Katayama's parents seek after the death of Eliot's grandmother, Babung. Twelve-year-old Eliot, cued as queer and of Japanese descent, grieves the loss of her confidante, and worries that Babung's dementia means she "has no idea how much she was loved," and may be existing in the afterlife without memories. When Eliot accepts a summer gardening job at imposing Honeyfield Hall, rumored to be haunted, she meets Hazel, a girl her own age, and finds a key whose lock reveals ghosts trapped in the house. To get a message to her grandmother, Eliot agrees to help the ghosts solve a riddle, find their lost memories, and perhaps move on. But Eliot is stymied by a shadowy creature who seems intent on destroying the ghosts' chances. Bowman (the Infinity Courts series) harmoniously splices real-world and otherworldly elements as Eliot moves between realms. Despite repeatedly hollow dictums on grief ("Rainbows come after a storm. Maybe it's like that when you're sad, too"), Eliot's thought processes ("Sometimes I just have so many thoughts in my head that it's hard to separate them into words") and difficulty making friends are handled with sensitivity, and the central theme--being appreciated for who one is--rings true. Ages 8-12. Agent: Penny Moore, Aevitas Creative Management. (Oct.)

"A beautiful and gripping tale of ghosts, friendships, and moving on without forgetting the ones who have mattered to us. Eliot is a heroine readers are sure to love." —Katie Zhao, author of Last Gamer Standing and the Winnie Zeng series 

"Full of heart and captivating from start to finish, Where the Lost Ones Go takes the sharp pieces of grief and molds them into a story full of warm, radiant love. With both the fantastical elements and profoundness of a Miyazaki film, it's a story that'll stick with me for a long time." —Lyla Lee, author of the Mindy Kim series