The light jar - lisa thompson

Thoughtful and hugely empathetic ( The Guardian ).

The Light Jar is a compelling mystery that celebrates imagination and the light within.

Nate and his mother are running away.

Fleeing from a bad situation at home, they hide out in an abandoned cottage in the middle of a forest.

Though its old and run-down, at least its a place of their own.

Then Nates mother heads off for groceries and doesnt return.

Has she run into trouble, or simply abandoned him? He is left alone and afraid, with the dark -- and all his old fears -- closing in on him.

But comfort can come from the most unexpected of places: like a strange girl trying to solve the mystery of a treasure hunt, and the reappearance of a friend from his past.

Will Nate find the bravery he needs to face down his fears, survive on his own, and ultimately illuminate his future? From the author of The Goldfish Boy , comes a captivating story of fear and hope, loneliness and friendship, and finding the light within, even in the darkest of times.