Saint Philomene's Infirmary for Magical Creatures

It all started when Chance decided to dig a hole in the backyard.  It's the deepest hole he's ever made, and he is intrigued when he hits something that turns out to be an underground mail delivery system.  He intercepts a letter that seems really important, so of course, he decides to follow the pipeline and deliver the letter in person. 

This lands him in a hospital where all creatures are welcome except humans, but there is already another human there, and he is threatening to kill everyone in the vast unground hospital unless he gets what he wants.  Chance has the cure, but everyone is on the lookout for him, too.

Back on the surface, his older sister Pauline who doesn't believe in anything she can't see or touch realizes Chance has disappeared in the hole.  Can the siblings find each other and save the hospital before it's too late?

W. Stone Cotter's first novel is a wild ride where things are resolved a little too easily at times.  This book does have incredibly rich vocabulary, so it's great for the kid who should be challenging himself but always picks the thinnest book on the shelf.  Struggling readers, however, may not get more than a couple of pages in.