SOLVED. Children's Novel about a girl kidnapped and then brought to a castle? [s]

[Ninja]

A girl, maybe age 9-12 is traveling through a forest, and meets and old woman and old man woodcarver separately. She was also in a castle at some point in the book, maybe she was kidnapped. She had to take a journey across a desert or forest. The book started out with a normal town, but with some weird mist or shadows, maybe kidnappers? Probably published around 2000-2005

[Mlk]

"By These 10 Bones" by Clare B. Dunkle?

[Kagama-the Literaturevixen]

The Silver Crown ?

Ellen awakens on her tenth birthday to discover a silver crown on her pillow. She delightedly wears her strange new crown to the park that morning, but when she returns she is horrified to find that her house has burned down and her family has disappeared. Dazed, Ellen knows she must somehow reach Aunt Sarah's house, but the only way to get there is to travel over the unforgiving mountains on foot.

Her journey turns treacherous when she and her travel companion, Otto, stumble across an ominous castle where evil rules and everyone who enters falls prey to the darkness within. Everyone, that is, except Ellen. She alone must conquer this mysterious force --but how?

I believe they meet a man who is a woodcarver...named Mr Carver.

[Cheryl]

By These Ten Bones is the link to Dunkle's book. I think I'm adding both of these to 'to-read.'

[Lobstergirl, au gratin]

Ninja, are you still looking for this? Was it anything suggested?

[Ninja]

Ah, thank you guys so much! It was The Silver Crown! I am so happy and grateful and I'm going to read it again as soon as possible! This made my day :)

[Lobstergirl, au gratin]

Awesome. Thanks for letting us know.