The House that Wasn’t There by Elana K. Arnold

In The House That Wasn’t There, neighbors start off on the wrong foot, but soon discover a mysterious connection.

The House That Wasn’t There by Elana K. Arnold. Walden Pond Press (Harper Collins), 2021, 280 pages

Reading Level: Middle Grades, ages 8-10

Recommended for: ages 8-12

Alder barely remembers his father, who was “taken by a short, sudden illness “when Alder was only three. Still, he has something other fatherless kids don’t: recordings of his dad, who attained some fame as a folk singer before his life and career were cut short. That’s often a good thing; sometimes just a sad thing. His mother never remarried and the two live happily enough in a colorful house on Rollingwood Lane. Until new neighbors moved into the empty house next door and cut down the tree that shaded Alder’s house.

That’s not the best way to start a relationship, even though the neighbor’s family includes a girl his own age. Coincidentally, she’s also named after a tree. Oak tries to be friendly, and Alder could use another friend since his previous bf has found other interests. But the two don’t hit it off until a lightning storm catapults them into . . . an alternative reality? Another dimension? Hard to say just what it is, but it creates a connection between of them.

Losing old friendships, losing a parent, and making an unwelcome move are common themes in middle-grade literature, here given a twist by an unexpected fantasy angle. I think more might have been made of the fantasy—by the end of the novel, I’m not sure how relevant it was—but the slow approach of these two characters toward each other, and the unfolding of the relationship between them, makes for an absorbing story. In some way, everything is connected to everything else. Could it be that there’s one origin for all?

Overall Rating: 4 (out of 5)

• Worldview/moral value: 3.5
• Artistic/literary value: 4.5

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Also at Readeemed Reader

Reviews: Moving, for whatever reason, is tough for kids. So is grief. These three middle-grade novels touch on both themes in different ways: Blooming at the Texas Sunrise Motel, The Dollar Kids, and Louisiana’s Way Home.

Resource: See our “Love and Laughter” list for more great books about families.

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