The title character remembers idyllic times with her movie-star parents before their careers skyrocketed. Now Juniper spends her days rattling around the family's mansion and trying to figure out what went wrong. After befriending Giles, whose parents underwent similar--and sinister--personality shifts, Juniper must find within herself the strength to save them all. Compelling characterizations drive this fairy-tale-cum-morality-play.

Gr 4-6 Juniper Berry misses the days when her parents were less famous. They have become two of the most recognizable actors in the world, and the 11-year-old rattles around their mansion with only her dog for company. Even when her mother and father are home, they are too preoccupied to act out the plays that she writes for them. When Juniper meets a boy wandering around the grounds, he tells her he has noticed a similar withdrawal in his parents and believes the adults' strange behavior is linked to a mysterious tree on Juniper's property. As she and Giles explore the tree more thoroughly, they find a hole in its base and a staircase. They discover an underground lair that is the home of Skeksyl, a shadowy creature that trades in special balloons. Those who agree to breathe into one will have their innermost desires fulfilled. As the children are drawn deeper into the eerie world, they realize that their parents have fallen victim to Skeksyl's temptations and must find a way to reclaim their souls and restore the unity that their families once enjoyed. While Kozlowsky's imagined world is an original one, readers are never truly drawn in as events unfold, and even the main characters come across as flat and unappealing. Lyn Gardner's Into the Woods (Random, 2007) and N. D. Wilson's "100 Cupboards" trilogy (Random) are better choices for fantasy lovers who enjoy themes of the importance of family. Full-page, atmospheric illustrations appear throughout. Kim Dare, Fairfax County Public Schools, VA

Something strange is happening to Juniper Berry's parents. Sure, they didn't become world famous movie stars by being ordinary. Lately, though, they have become obsessive, reclusive, and downright mean, which is not like them. Juniper sets out to discover the truth behind their odd behavior, embarking on a frightening and fantastical adventure that involves a secret cave beneath a magic tree, soul-sucking balloons, and a new best friend, Giles. Together, the pals do battle with a supremely sinister antagonist, attempting to resist the temptations to which their weaker parents have succumbed, with mixed success. In a story at once harrowing and touching, Kozlowsky enlivens the narrative with a deft hand, melding imagery that recalls the work of Neil Gaiman, Lemony Snicket, and Hans Christian Andersen. Some less-than-subtle symbolism about the dangers of addiction and the price of fame may stand out to the adult reader, but it is appropriately oblique for the intended young audience. With a terrifying villain, a relentless pace, a cinematic story, and a satisfyingly happy ending, this compelling read promises to draw reluctant and avid readers alike.

Eleven-year-old Juniper Berry appears to have the perfect life. Her parents are superstar actors. She lives in a mansion behind gilded gates. She has servants and tutors and even the perfect dog, Kitty. However, her parents mostly ignore her...but it wasn't always that way. She remembers playing in the snow and trips to New York and a time when they'd never have allowed her to play outside in the rain. Juniper watches the world through her various lenses, binoculars and telescopes searching for the truth, until she meets Giles in the woods behind her house. He's looking for the tree his parents disappeared into. His parents have changed too, and he's sure that what's inside that tree is to blame. Juniper follows her parents into the night, and, sure enough, they too disappear into a particularly nasty, twisted tree. When she and Giles mount an expedition, what they find might be the answer to their dreams or the embodiment of their worst nightmares. The cowled figure Skeksyl offers each their fondest wish, but at a price. Can Juniper resist? Can she save her parents? Kozlowsky's Coraline-scented debut is a slow-out-of-the-gate creepy horror tale with an intricately engineered ending so perfect it cloys. Juniper tries for pluck but barely achieves interesting. Best left for only the most voracious chiller fans. (Horror. 9-12)