Sign of the Raven

When his mother is undergoing cancer treatment, twelve-year-old Tom is sent to stay with his grandmother in London, where he discovers a hidden gap in the basement that pulls him back to the year 1717. He finds himself in the noisy bustle of Bartholomew Fair, where a tiny changeling named Astra urgently pleads with him to help her friends survive a looming danger. Tom must deal with the strange sights and perils of early eighteenth-century England while figuring out how to return home. The novel mixes historical adventure with a hint of fantasy as Tom races against time to keep his promise to the fairy child.