CW: Talk of mother trying to commit suicide. Father talks about ending his life while holding a gun. Father shot. ( )

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Ex-lib. AADL ( )

Books written by authors from Australia and New Zealand really do have a different flavor to them. This was a bit of a mystery, a bit of coming-of-age, exciting and subtle at the same time. Based on the 1/2 doz. books I've read so far by her, Mahy deserves to be better known in the US. This one's probably best for ages 10-13 or so - it's a little more complex than, say, [b:The Five Sisters|47903|The Five Sisters (Puffin Chapters)|Margaret Mahy|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1170348844s/47903.jpg|1988519]. ( )

Reread because I just couldn't remember it. Part of the problem is that the cover (of the one that I read) doesn't suit. This one is somewhat better - shows a bit of the idea that there's another layer of suspense, and of the inner lives of the children, that make the book much more intriguing than the story of two kids playing in the meadows/moors.

Another reason that I didn't remember it is because it has no cliches, no predictability. Have you ever met a dad who is a landscape artist before? Have you ever met a kid who has so many reasons to be dissatisfied and whiny, but still manages to have an easy-going and cheerful outlook? I haven't.

This was definitely worth the reread - and I will continue to read everything I can find by Mahy. ( )