Into the Hare Wood — Tonya Macalino

Dad picked a bad time to go out of town. Just when the family's curse slips out of the shadows and into their backyard... Instead of summer break trips to the pool, Hannah and Cameron Troyer find themselves solemnly guarded by ranks of neighborhood cats and haunted by a mad man from the woods. Could there be something their father forgot to tell them about their ancient Italian heritage? And do they really, really want to know? "Clang, clang, clang: The sword against the golden gate. The treasure waits within." Book One of the Gates of Aurona series. Recommended for ages 8-12.