by David Almond
First published 2009
Kit Watson arrives in Stoneygate when his family relocates to care for his newly widowed grandfather. The old coal mining town carries the weight of generations who worked and perished in its depths. Kit encounters John Askew, a local boy whose own family history intertwines with the mines' dark legacy. Askew introduces Kit to Death, a dangerous game that draws them into the abandoned underground passages. As Kit's grandfather shares stories about their family's mining past, the two boys venture deeper into the tunnels. They search for traces of children from earlier generations, seeking connection with those who came before them. The game becomes more than play as Kit discovers how the present connects to the buried history of Stoneygate. Through his grandfather's memories and his own underground explorations, Kit learns about the bonds that tie families together across time. The mining town's shadows reveal truths about survival, loss, and the ways people find meaning in difficult places.
Genres: historical-fiction, adventure, coming-of-age, family-drama
Vibes: atmospheric, emotional, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, past-haunts-present
Setting: Stoneygate
Period: 20th-century
240 pages · Hardcover · Delacorte Books for Young Readers
Content warnings: death