Into the Dim

By Janet B. Taylor
Lexile = 710

Here is the book we are talking about today; but before I begin......

Did you ever read the Magic Tree House books? I bet you did! Every elementary kid in the last fifteen years has gone on adventures with Jack and Annie. THese books are terrific early readers. They transport the reader to a different time and place. Jack and Annie are inventive and tough. Although they get into some pretty tight places, they always figure out the problem, fix history and get back to their own houses by dinner time.

I was reminded over and over of the Magic Tree House series as I read Into the Dim. The plot centers on Hope Walton, who has been home-schooled (in some strange subjects) by her mother. Hope has a photo-graphic memory. Tragically, her mother disappeared on a mysterious overseas trip. No body was ever recovered. The book opens with the funeral and burial of an empty casket.

Hope is sent to Scotland to visit her reclusive aunt, the sister of her missing mother. The aunt lives in an ancient castle in the Scottish Highlands (I'm sooo jealous!) and Hope immediately enjoys horse riding and exploring. She soon finds that her mother's family is harboring an important secret AND that they think Sarah Walton is alive.... not someWHERE but someWHEN!

The family selects Hope to go and rescue her mother. Hope will be accompanied by Phoebe and Collum and the three adventurers become the "Jack and Annie" of this tale. Just as in the Tree House adventures, I never really worried about the ultimate outcome. I KNEW that Hope and her cohorts would make it back. But there are some twists and surprises along the way. Into the Dim is a fun read and I look forward to the sequel.