Second Sleep - by Diane Stanley (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

The time by the lake is everything perfect about a childhood
summer...and maybe it also holds the answers Max needs. Give this tender middle
grade novel to readers who love the mystery, friendships, and touches of magic
in novels by Rebecca Stead and Laurel Snyder!

To get Max and Rosie's minds off their mother's mysterious
disappearance, their grandmother, Mozelle, suggests that they visit the old log
cabin where their mom spent her summers as a child. This is a place where, when
it gets dark, you go to bed. But according to Mozelle, their mother had her
happiest dreams during her nights at the lake.

That first night, Max and Rosie travel in their dreams to an
almost impossibly beautiful place where they meet a wonderful new group of
friends. But was it really just a dream? Or is there something extraordinary
and magical about this compound by the lake?

As Max slowly grasps what is really going on, he wonders if he
might have found the key to the mystery of his mother's disappearance--and how to
bring her safely home.

Review Quotes

"This gentle but uplifting tale is very much an internal journey, with calm and creativity at heart; but enough mystery is sprinkled throughout (who are the lake kids? where is Max and Rosie's mother?) that the pace never stagnates." - Horn Book Magazine
"This is a book for those who love adventure, mystery, and journeys to self-realization. At once magical and rooted in reality, an engaging story of life, love, family, and heart." - Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
"Filled with rich details that uphold a dreamy nostalgia, a strong core mystery, and organic growth for Max, Stanley's latest celebrates bonds past and present among the characters." - Publishers Weekly
"Written with great immediacy, the scenes involving the lakeside group offer oblique clues to solving the questions that underly Max's thoughts and motivate his actions: Can anyone protect this apparently magical place? Can he protect his mother? A compelling novel that challenges readers and rewards them as well." - Booklist (starred review)
"Purchase for collections where realistic fiction with a fantastic twist, such as The Fourteenth Goldfish by Jennifer Holm, is popular." - School Library Journal