The Door to January

Gr 9 Up—Natalie has returned to her hometown in Maine to help her aunt in the local café. She also has other motives for coming back—to explore the mystery behind a series of nightmares she has had since leaving because of a tragic incident. With the help of her cousin Todd, Natalie sets out to the eerie house that stands at 25 Morning Glory Lane; the one in her nightmares. What they discover through their daily trips to the house is shocking and Natalie is sucked into the past, bearing witness to another tragedy. French has crafted a story that will grab readers' attention from the beginning. Teens will be continually drawn into the intrigue through chapters that present alternating time lines. Readers will feel connected to Natalie and her plight of past, present, and future, and though there are supernatural elements to the story, the emotions and feelings are all too real.