Time Out of Time: Beyond the Door by Maureen Doyle McQuerry
Synopsis:
With his love of learning and the game of Scrabble, Timothy James feels like the only person who understands him is his older sister, Sarah, and he’s fairly certain nothing interesting will ever happen to him. But one night, while his parents and sister are away, the door opens, and mythical creatures appear in his own living room! Soon, a mystery of unparalleled proportions begins to unfold, revealing an age-old battle of Light against Dark, and Timothy must embark on a quest to prevent the Dark from controlling the future and changing the past. But he can’t complete the quest alone. Timothy has to team up with his sister and the school bully, Jessica, to face an ancient evil, and in the process, this unlikely trio discover they are each more than meets the eye.
Review:
Timothy is a smart boy with a good heart. He doesn’t hesitate to put himself in danger to help others – even those that don’t deserve it. And when he learns that the scary mythological stories told by his babysitter are real, he pulls his older sister into an exciting adventure.
Beyond the Door is the first in a fantasy duology for young readers. The characters and story reminded me a bit of A Wrinkle In Time. It’s written for children, but isn’t a simple story. McQuerry weaves an intricate retelling of familiar folk tales. The human characters are relatable and complex, but the magical ones are eccentric and bizarre. This first installment is full of adventure, mystery, and good versus evil. And the suspense builds to a cliffhanger ending to be resolved in the next novel.