Bound To Stay Bound

Booklist - 04/01/2023 Pet, short for Perpetua, along with her younger brother, is on a quest to find a valuable coin rumored to be lost at a convent in Iowa, home to her novice-nun friend Melanie, who teaches her Latin. Pet hopes that if she can sell the coin, she can help her family: a depressed, injured father in need of surgery; a mom, tired from constant work; and the aforementioned brother, who stopped talking, except for the word cheese, the day their dad hurt himself. Of course, there's a bad guy—her neighbor's mean son, who wants the coin for himself—and faithful companions, including a white miniature horse and her brother's favorite hen from the nun's flock. They also are armed with a metal detector and a saltshaker, which Melanie says should be opened and sprinkled only in an emergency. Soon the landscape morphs into something magical, peopled with both frightening and helpful characters, such as a floating shepherdess, a giant, and a man in a monster mask. Like Oz or Narnia, the landscape will enchant readers looking for an eventful adventure. - Copyright 2023 Booklist.