The House of Dies Drear by Virginia Hamilton

This captivating mystery about a significant historical time of the Underground Railroad was a book that was very hard to put down: Truly an all-nighter, because so many deep issues were intertwined with the plot. Set in the 1960's this book centers around a young black protagonist named Thomas Smalls. Thomas Smalls and his family moved to Ohio to rent an old house dating back to the time of the Underground Railroad. Thomas never felt accepted in the new town, and even the folks at church did not seem to welcome the Smalls. At the beginning of the book the reader wonders if someone was breaking into the house to rearrange furniture for some strange reason. Being a curious young boy Thomas must investigate. Finding strange tin triangles stuck in the door jams who would think that these must be part of a puzzle for Thomas to try to solve? Strange things are happening to the Smalls throughout the book. The strange Darrows family seem to try to scare the Smalls out of the house. The reader wonders if the Darrows are in cahoots with Pluto, the eccentric caretaker of the old house. The high point of the book seemed to be the practical joke played on the Darrows to scare them off, yet later in the book after Thomas had discovered a secret tunnel and passageway under the house the reader discovers two Plutos. A rich and valuable treasure awaits Thomas beneath the house that connect him to his past and to learn gems of knowledge about the Underground Railroad. This book is a must-read, and the true twists and turns of the novel must be saved for those who have not yet picked up this book.