Greenglass House

Milo's adopted parents run a rundown inn, an isolated house on top of a hill. Its the winter break from school, and Milo, who is rather a solitary boy is looking forward to being alone with his parents as there are rarely guests at this time, especially since the weather is very good. So he is puzzled and very annoyed when a whole suspicious stream of guests suddenly turn up. A guest guests drops a mysterious map, he and his friend Meddy determine to decode the map's secrets and find out just why these people have appeared. A delightful mystery, with vivid characters, an intricate plot, lots of twists, and plenty of clues to the puzzle, is an excellent nominee for the 2015 Norton award.

At the heart of the book is Milo, shy, clever, kind, but always feeling a bit adrift as a chinese boy adopted when very young by a white couple. His quick wits and bravery make him a great protagonist, and for most of the book this just looks like an engaging deftly written mystery story. It is only about 75% through the book that there is a twist that justifies this as a fantasy. Add the wonderful descriptions of Greenglass House itself, and you have anexcellent book for young readers, original and exciting.