The Boy Who Wasn't There

Wilhelm's polished, classic watercolors and a stylized typeface intensify the invitingly nostalgic flavor of this tale set ``many years ago.'' On a rocky New England beach, lonely Sarah is visited by a ghost-like boy, who tells her that she will soon have a best friend. On another day, the same figure returns and announces that he needs Sarah's help. Instructing her to bring her favorite toys, a pair of puppets, the boy takes her to a rundown house, where an anxious mother hovers over her feverish daughter, Angela. The puppets spring to life, putting on a show that revives and cures the child. When Sarah explains to the mother that she was led to the house by the boy whose picture is framed by Angela's bed, the girl learns his identity. He is Angela's brother, who had disappeared two years before, swept out to sea trying to save another boy who was washed away by a wave. Broken into three brief chapters, this quietly dramatic ``mystery'' is a beguiling choice for beginning readers. Ages 6-10. (Nov.)