Mister Monday by Garth Nix (Keys to the Kingdom Series)

Arthur is kind of a weenie. His asthma prevents him from most strenuous activity, and his family moves a good deal, so it's hard for him to make friends. In fact, he's what you might call "ordinary." So much so, that when Mr. Monday and Skeezer show up during his gym class, he really has no idea what's going on. How could he? Even if he IS the rightful heir to the Will of the Architect, creator of all things, including the House and the Secondary Realms....wait, what?

It turns out that the Architect was the one who created everything out of Nothing (not nothing mind you, Nothing). She created the House, and the denizens of the House, who endeavor to watch and catalog the goings on of the Secondary Realms (which is pretty much anywhere outside of the House, and includes Earth), but not to interfere. So when the Architect died, she left a Will and Trustees (who are conveniently named after the days of the week) to watch over the House until a suitable Heir can be found. Of course, no one likes to give up their power...so the Trustees hide the Will away, after breaking it into seven pieces, and increasingly start to interfere with the Secondary Realms. PHEW! Are you confused yet? Arthur sure is, especially when his friends start succumbing to the "Sleepy Plague" as they are calling it, which seems to be caused by contamination from the House.

It turns out, Part 1 of the Will has found a way to get to Arthur. Armed with the Key, and the Compleat Atlas of the House (a very useful book), he must find a way to fight Mr. Monday for control of the Lower House. Lucky for him, he meets Suzy Turquoise Blue, one of the Piper's Children brought from Earth long ago, along with all the Rats. She, it seems, is the carrier of the Will...albeit in the guise of a frog! The three plot Mister Monday's downfall, but will they ever make it past all his guards, traps, prisons, and more?

Excellent juvenile fantasy, and recommended for lovers of Harry Potter.

"Don't look, part of his mind said. If you don't see trouble, it doesn't exist. But it does, thought Arthur, fighting down the fear. Keep breathing slowly. You have to confront your fears. Deal with them," (Nix, 2003).

*Library Link*

If you liked this, check out:

Grim Tuesday by Garth Nix
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling
Midnight for Charlie Bone by Jenny Nimmo

Nix, Garth. (2003). Mister Monday. New York, NY: Scholastic.