The Wikkeling

Gr 4—8—In Henrietta's world, every part of life is monitored and regulated by computers. House cats are considered wild and dangerous animals. Old houses and old books can make children sick. The girl's orderly and safe life is disrupted the day she discovers a secret attic above her bedroom, where a wounded cat has taken refuge, and the windows show scenes from her neighborhood's past and time seems to stand still. Soon after this discovery, she starts seeing the Wikkeling, a menacing yellow creature that gives children headaches with the touch of a finger. She learns that a few others can see it, too, and they work together to solve the mystery of what it is, and what it wants from them. Arntson has created a detailed and fascinating dystopian world that seems eerily similar to our own, and Terrazzini's illustrations strike just the right note. This delightfully creepy tale will appeal to fans of Neil Gaiman's Coraline (HarperCollins, 2002).—Misti Tidman, formerly at Boyd County Public Library, Ashland, KY