Bobby’s family lives on the economic and emotional edge. Desperate not to be evicted from the country cottage where they’ve just moved, Bobby’s mother agrees that fourteen-year-old Bobby will work for their landlord to pay him back for the car Bobby stole. The car belonged to the former tenant of the cottage—who disappeared without a trace. Bobby is alternately pleased by the praise and sense of satisfaction that comes with doing a good job for the landlord, and resentful of the amount of work he demands. Meanwhile, Bobby discovers his little brother having secret conversations in the middle of the night with someone—or something. His sense of unease deepens when he finds items belonging to the missing tenant that suggest foul play, further fueling rumors that the cottage has been a site of mystery and tragedy for years. Some (but not all) readers looking for the scary story suggested by the title and cover of Creature of the Night may be disappointed. But Kate Thompson’s novel incorporates Irish lore into a tremendously rich story of a teen on a path of self-destruction who is lucky enough to find people who see his promise and are willing to give him more than one chance to make new choices. (Age 12 and older)

This is a realistic coming-of-age story infused with a layer of underlying faerie magic. Bobby wants to leave his family’s new home in the countryside and go back to Dublin and his thieving, drinking gang of friends. It is not quite that simple, though, and Bobby slowly begins to change and grow with the guidance of his new neighbors. Unanswered questions remain concern ing the history of his family’s new home, and Bobby tries to uncover the magical truth surrounding the mysterious and possibly murderous events of the past. 2010 USBBY Outstanding International Books List, CCBC Choices. ae

Originally published by Bodley Head Great Britain, in 2008.

A HOUSE WITH A SECRET

An unanswered question: Who is the Creature in the Night?

Bobby lives a reckless life smoking, drinking, and stealing cars in Dublin. So his mother moves thefamily to the country. But Bobby suspects their cottage might not be as quaint as it seems. Teens will be captivated by this spooky novel about the darkness that lurks in forgotten corners and tough teenagers.