Orphaned Hayley has caused enough trouble at home that her grandmother packed her off to Ireland to live with her Aunts. There she meets a whole host of rambunctious cousins, who teach her how to play a mysterious scavenger hunt they call “the game.” She quickly discovers that the items they bring back are out of this world, in more ways than one. Tasked with making their way into the mythosphere, Hayley and her cousins must steal dragon scales, golden apples, and the stars from Orion’s belt. It’s an exciting, but dangerous game, especially since their strict 

Uncle Jolyon has forbidden them to go anywhere near the mythosphere. 

Long before Rick Riordan burst on the scene, Diana Wynne Jones gave us a world where the mythical realm was just a few steps away. She is one of the most creative children’s authors of all time, and I don’t think anyone has ever matched her world-building. A great part of the fun of this book is figuring out who each of the characters are, so I won’t spoil it. However, Hayley is brought to her Aunts’ house by her cousin Mercer, which gives you a hint. The mythosphere is particularly inventive. The “further out” Hayley finds herself, the more like Greek mythology the places she visits are. “Closer in” to the real world, she encounters more metaphorical versions of myths. For example, she visits the ancient underworld and sees folks toiling at their endless punishments, then on her way back, the laborious tasks become never-ending paperwork in an office where no one can leave their desks until their in-trays are empty.   – Krishni Burns

Anyone will love this book, but fans of Rick Riordan and J. K. Rowling will particularly enjoy it. Both authors have cited Diana Wynne Jones’ earlier books as a major inspiration, and it’s easy to see why from The Game. – Krishni Burns