The House With a Clock in Its Walls by John Bellairs (1993)

Somehow I was lucky enough that some grownup chose "The House with a Clock in its Walls" as a Christmas gift to me when I was 11 or so.

They didn't realize, I don't think, that they had landed on a true classic. The story, which later grew into a trilogy, is of a young, overweight, nervous boy who goes to live with his intriguing uncle in New Zebedee, Michigan, in 1948, after his parents die.

Lewis soon finds that his uncle, who lives in a creaky old mansion with dozens of unused rooms, is not your typical guy. Both Uncle Jonathan and his next door neighbor, Mrs. Zimmermann, are witches. But creative and smart ones, who only use their magic for fun stuff like recreating scenes from history, causing the moon to eclipse and the backyard to come alive with magic, stuff like that.

But what makes this story great is the tale that arises -- and the amazing color and texture that it's written in. The huge mansion, Jonathan and Lewis's home, has a spell over it which causes a clock to be heard whenever you put your ear to any wall. Where is the clock, and what is it ticking away to?

Lewis's eagerness to get along in the historical old town -- and his troubles as an overweight young kid -- lead him to dabble a bit too closely in these magical affairs, and a tangle with black magic ensues.

Beautifully and truly addictive, this book is of the type that lovers of "Harry Potter" books will love -- but much more engaging and skilfully rendered. Kids will be changed by the excellence of this book and the lessons about being smart, different, and adventurous. Truly a magical book.