The Strangers by Margaret Peterson Haddix

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Justification

I loved the strangers for its weird plot alone. It's a strange story about parallel dimensions, which I have never seen in a children's book before. This would have been right up my alley as a kid and I devoured it with gusto.

Evaluation

Plot: While there is much speculation about the realities of parallel dimensions, this strange story begins with a kidnapping of three kids that look exactly like Ches, Emma, and Finn. Their mother, who is visibly upset leaves them suddenly with an acquaintance and things proceed to get weird--Finn's friend sees their mom "robbing a bank" and then the Greystones find their mom's phone and laptop mysteriously at home when they stop by to feed their cat. Thus starts the unravelling of a mystery and the revelation that there are parallel worlds and the Greystones aren't actually from this world!

Characters: I don't normally enjoy multiple narrator points of view, but when it is done well it can add nuance and flavor to the story. Haddix did so with the constant switch between Ches, Emma, and Finn. Each of them are interesting and supportive and understanding of what makes their siblings unique and valuable. In turn, there is also the sassy Natalie Mayhew who is the ever typical pre-teen with an attitude and a good heart.

Conclusion

This was an exciting read that I could not put down. I think it is a necessary edition for a middle grade or even YA collection strictly based on the odd world the Greystone's live in/are from.

Citation

Haddix, M. P., & Lambelet, A. (2019). The strangers. New York: HarperCollins.