Liesl and Po by Lauren Oliver

This is Lauren Oliver's first children's book and she calls it the most personal book she's ever written. It came out of her feelings when her best friend died unexpectedly. It is a book about death and what comes after and what is left behind.

Liesl has been locked (by her step-mother) in an attic for almost as long as she can remember. When we meet her, her father has just died and she is feeling sad and very alone. Then, she meets Po, a ghost, and his companion Bundle. Po and Bundle used to be a human and a pet, but they've been ghosts so long that they do not know exactly what they are now. They live on the "Other Side", a grey and windy land.

Meanwhile, an orphan boy named Will watches every night. As Liesl sits in her window, drawing by the light of her lamp, Will stands on the sidewalk, watches her, and dreams of meeting her.

When Will (the alchemist's assistant, by the way) makes the biggest mistake of his short life, everyone's lives are changed.

This was a very sweet story. It goes from darkness everywhere, to healing and light--all conflicts resolved. It's a children's book so it's a quick read and it has some lovely black and white illustrations.