The House That Wasn't There

 Shirley J.          Juvenile Fiction                            Magic, an Opposum, love for trees, family

The House That Wasn't There by Elana K. Arnold   304 pages

Alder lives with his Mom in Southern California, there is a walnut tree that he and his Mom love that grows in the yard next door that has always been there until one day a new family moves in, the mother is an architect and cuts the tree down to make way for remodeling of the house adding a second floor to the property.  Alder and his Mom are devastated!  The new people have no feeling for the tree at all just hack it down!  Gone!  Alder glares at the new neighbors every chance he gets, what kind of people are they?  Why would they kill a beautiful living tree like that?  This causes a thorn of contention between the two households.   The new girl can't figure out why the strange boy next door won't stop staring at her like she did something wrong.     What starts out as a strained relationship soon lands the two in the same school, some of the same classes and being partnered on projects by their teachers.   What starts out rocky soon turns out to show that these two have something in common.  For one thing they both see the shiny mirage like image between their homes and eventually both begin to explore this magical stirring and what they meet up with is even more surprising than any mirage!   Good story with twists and magic that youngsters on up will enjoy, so will adults if they give it a chance.  Magic is always fun and you never know what you will find.  I recommend it as a fun read.