The Crosswood — Gabrielle Prendergast

In the first book of the Faerie Woods series, Blue must find his way into the magical forest known as the Crosswood and through the dangerous Faerie lands beyond it.

Fourteen-year-old Blue Jasper takes his younger siblings, twins Indigo and Violet, out for a hike to give their mother a break. One moment the twins are scampering in the trees right ahead of him, and the next moment they are gone. As Blue frantically searches for them, a strange woman appears in the forest claiming to be the Faerie Queen Olea of Nearwood and the twins' real mother. Now because of a magical pact, Blue's mother's life will be in danger if he can't find the twins before the next sunset. Will he be able to find the twins in time? And will they be able to find their way out again?

This short novel is a high-interest, low-reading level book for middle-grade readers who are building reading skills, want a quick read or say they don't like to read!