What if the old church at the end of your street wasn't just a building-what if it was a doorway to something ancient, dangerous, and alive?
For Quinn, Judah, and Harper Wright, that question becomes more than a daydream the moment the bell tolls. Their father, Pastor Nate, has been helping restore a 200-year-old church on Oxford Street, a place long abandoned and wrapped in rumors. Everyone in town has heard the whispers-that the building is haunted, that sadness lingers in its stones, that something drove the old congregation away. Most people stay clear.
But not the Wright kids.
When Quinn's curiosity, Judah's bravery, and Harper's imagination collide, they stumble into a hidden world beneath the surface of their ordinary town. Vines curl where no vines should be. Shadows stir with a will of their own. And deep in the church garden, they discover a magic older than the town itself-good magic meant for life and flourishing, but threatened by something dark.
That darkness has a name.
Mulcor.
Once, long ago, he tried to seize control of the church and its people. He failed. But his power didn't vanish-it lingered, festering, waiting for a chance to break through again. Now, with the church reopening and hope flickering in the town of Ingersoll, Mulcor is on the move. And he has his eye on the children.
The Wright kids don't set out to be heroes. But when the bell tolls and the garden awakens, the children are swept into a battle far bigger than themselves. To resist Mulcor, they must uncover Along the way, they'll be joined by friends-Tessa, bold and skeptical; Theo, quiet and thoughtful; and Claire, diligent and determined. Each brings something the others need. Each carries their own fears and questions. And each will be tested.
Because Mulcor doesn't only threaten the church's stones. He whispers to the heart. He thrives on despair, lies, and forgetfulness. To defeat him, the children must cling to the truth, even when it's hard. They must hold fast to one another, even when fear pulls them apart. And they must trust that the light is stronger than the darkness.
Crossroads Kids and the Church at Oxford Street is more than a fantasy adventure-it's a story about faith and family, courage and truth, memory and hope. It invites children (and parents!) into a world where the spiritual battle is real, but so is the joy of resisting it together.
If you loved the whimsical danger of Andrew Peterson's Wingfeather Saga, the loyalty and bravery of S.D. Smith's Green Ember series, or the timeless wonder of C.S. Lewis's Chronicles of Narnia, you'll feel right at home here.
But this story isn't just a copy of what's come before. It's set in the real world-in a small town with real kids whose names, quirks, and struggles feel familiar. These are children who laugh and argue, who scrape their knees and get scared, who wonder if their prayers matter. And yet, when the bell tolls and the garden opens, they discover that God's truth and goodness are more powerful than anything Mulcor can throw at them.
Parents will appreciate the way this story weaves spiritual depth into a thrilling narrative without turning preachy. Kids will race through chapters full of adventure, danger, humor, and mystery. And together, families will find themselves talking about courage, temptation, truth, and what it means to live as light in a world that often feels dark.
This is the beginning of the Crossroads Kids series-a sweeping tale that will carry the Wright kids and their friends through hidden gardens, ancient ruins, deceptive visions, and battles at the very edge of the spiritual realm. Each book unfolds new layers of the story, new dangers, new joys, and new glimpses of the King who rules over all.
But it all starts here, in an old church on Oxford Street.
