Achim is eleven years old when he moves from the orphanage to the house by the sea. Here everything is strange and new. But one day he discovers an unusual door that leads to a circular room with walls made of rough stone. The light coming through the window is hazy, as if the room is under water. It is a magic room—which he calls “The Adopted Room”—belonging to another world. And on a bed in the room sits a boy who is waiting to take Achim with him into the realm of the powerful Nameless One. Achim learns that the boy, Arnim, is the long-dead son of Achim’s new parents. When he died in a car accident at the age of four, Arnim was supposed to have become a bird and flown free to the land of the dead, which can be seen through the window of The Adopted Room. But the Nameless One has somehow locked Arnim inside, so he cannot leave. Achim, however, finds he can turn into a bird, slip through the window, and fly across the strange land. And thus begins a journey in which Achim must fight the Nameless One and free Arnim so he can finally leave his parents and they can let go of their grief. Antonia Michaelis’s fresh voice helps to address the delicate issues of death, grief, and mourning, portraying them as an essential part of life. The Secret Room is full of humor and adventure, but also brings to light these difficult life issues in a way that young readers can understand. The first in a trilogy, with its sequel, The Secret of the Twelfth Continent, to follow next spring, this captivating mid-grade novel is sure to become a favorite series with young readers.

Twelve-year-old Karl (a friend of Achim's from the orphanage) is really strong but can't cope without his timid friend, who has been adopted by a nice couple and now lives far away. What's the use in being strong, thinks Karl, if you don't have anyone to protect? He is relentlessly teased by the other kids at school, so Karl starts beating them up and is eventually expelled. Spending time alone in his room, Karl daydreams about his father, who he believes is a sea captain who has somehow lost Karl as a baby, but who will one day come and fetch him. But when Maria, who works at the orphanage, admits to Karl that she made up this story to soothe him when he was younger, he decides to run away from his teachers, his peers who tease him, and the people in his life who tell him lies. Thus he embarks on a journey to reach the ocean, become a sailor, and find his father.On his journey he meets the Tiny Ones, a tribe of adventurers and sailors not much bigger than Karl's little finger. They've lost their ship and would like to borrow the model ship Karl has brought with him on his escape. Karl is magically changed into one of the Tiny Ones and they set sail on an adventure to the Twelfth Continent. On a previous journey here, the children of the Tiny Ones vanished while on a walk one evening. Now, with Karl's help, the Tiny Ones want to find their children again. Throughout his adventures, Karl not only finds the solution to an old riddle on the Twelfth Continent, but also discovers traces of his real father on this very peculiar island with more than one surprise in store for him and his fellow sailors. Full of wit and surprises, The Secret of the Twelfth Continent is sure to captivate children while reinforcing the importance of family and friendship.

Achim und Karl besuchen ihr ehemaliges Kinderheim und entdecken einen verborgenen Garten, dessen Existenz ihnen bis zu diesem Augenblick unbekannt war. Mit Beklemmung stellen sie fest, dass sie zwar mühelos durch das schmiedeeiserne Tor eintreten, aber nicht wieder hinausgehen können. Ratlos erkunden die beiden die verschlungenen Pfade, den Wald und das verlassene Herrenhaus. Dort scheint die Zeit stehen geblieben zu sein. Wer sind die Kinder, die täglich in den Garten kommen, um zu arbeiten? Was hat es mit dem schwarzen und dem weißen Schatten auf sich? Sind es tatsächlich Wölfe, die des Nachts dort ihr Unwesen treiben? Die Lösung dieser Rätsel erfordert von Achim und Karl mehr als nur ihren ganzen Mut. Denn plötzlich kämpfen sie um ihr Leben ...