The Riverman

Reach for this book when your child starts navigating the complex line between childhood imagination and the darker realities of growing up. It is a profound choice for kids who are beginning to realize that their friends might have secrets or struggles that a simple game of pretend cannot fix. This story explores the weight of keeping secrets and the terrifying possibility that the 'make-believe' worlds we create might be hiding a more grounded, painful truth. The story follows Alistair Cleary, a boy asked by his neighbor Fiona to write her biography. Fiona claims she can travel to a magical world called Aquavania, but she fears a creature called the Riverman is stealing children's stories. As Alistair investigates, he must decide if Fiona is telling a literal truth or if her stories are a metaphor for something dangerous in their real town. This is a sophisticated, slightly dark mystery for middle schoolers that explores trust, loyalty, and the loss of innocence.