THE REMARKABLE JOURNEY OF CHARLIE PRICE

A beautifully written debut novel about grief, family, and magic – and a boy who must fight to rescue his beloved sister after she discovers a parallel world beneath her bed, where their recently deceased mother is still alive.

Ever since 13-year-old Charlie Price’s mom died, he feels like his world had been split into two parts. Before included stargazing and Mathletes and Saturday scavenger hunts with his family. After includes a dad who has completely checked out, stale bologna sandwiches, and boring grief group. It seems like losing Mom meant losing everything else he loved, too.

Just when Charlie thinks things cannot get any worse, his sister, Imogen starts missing school and making up lies about their mother. But everything changes when one day, he follows her down a secret passageway in the middle of her bedroom and sees for himself.

Imogen has found a world where Mom is alive! The things he missed most in the world: Mom’s perfect pasta sauce, her amazing hugs, and scavenger hunts are all back! Everything is perfect...at first. But something does not feel right. Whenever Charlie returns to the real world, things are different. And treasured memories seem to be slipping away. Soon Imogen starts spending more and more time on the other side. It is almost as if she wants to leave the real world for good. If Charlie does not uncover the truth he could lose himself, the true memory of their mother, and Imogen...forever.

This is an extraordinary debut about the ties that bind family, friends and the memories that keep loved ones alive even when they are no longer there.

Jennifer Maschari is a former middle-school teacher who writes books about kids who are brave. She lives in Ohio with her husband and her stinky (but noble) English bulldogs, Oliver and Hank. This is her debut novel.