Just Read

SUMMARY:
Connor's mom is acting very bizarrely, slipping into trances and seemingly under some sort of possession. Connor thinks the trances have something to do with an art book filled with paintings of a woman who looks exactly like his mother. The artist featured in the art book is long dead, and Connor can't find any connection between him and Connor's mom.
Conner sneaks the book away from his mom and, with the help of a drawing that falls out of the book, suddenly finds himself in the 1920's face to face with the artist who is painting her. The story actually involves three separate time periods and two artists; one evil and the second possessed by the first. In order to save his mom, Connor must battle the forces of evil to rescue the possessed painter, nearly losing himself in the process. When he triumphs, with the help of some children who may or may not be related to him, he restores order to the family of the artist, and manages to heal and reinvent his own family as well.

WHO WOULD LOVE THIS BOOK? A kid who...

loves mysteries and suspense
is into magic and the eternal struggle of good and evil
is male or female
can keep track of the changes between time periods and isn't thrown by shifting settings
is into young heroes
loves art and/or painting

WHAT ELSE?
A child from a religious background (one who can't read Harry Potter or magic books) shouldn't read this, as you may get parental backlash (although there isn't any demonic reference. The evil is about a long-standing revenge plot more than anything.) This is a fabulous book, and teachers have said they couldn't put it down themselves. It would be a great companion to a study on Renaissance artists, or an integrated unit on painting.