SOLVED: Fantasy, 3-5 children go back to a parallel(?) world where they've been mistaken for the royals. [s]

[Shannon]

Time it was read: Somewhere between 1999 and 2006, likely before 2003.

title: I think it had something to do with unicorns or dragons?

Other information: I remember they get there by going under a tree or bush, this is not their first time going there - for some reason they're going back? I think maybe someone came back and got several of them. Before they left one of them wrote a letter explaining why they were going.
Second or third book in the series - I got it at a library sale and couldn't find the first one.

Possible spoilers: (view spoiler)[ A witch killed the original royals if I remember right, and then brought them over in the first book?

They go to the underworld, where they are supposed to trade a life for a life, I think. And one of the people was either a rightful royal or a strategist they needed. (hide spoiler)]

[Emily]

Take a look at Pamela Dean's Secret Country series, starting with The Secret Country.

[Jai]

It really sounds like Pamela Dean's Secret Country series. The second book in the trilogy is The Hidden Land and the third is The Whim of the Dragon. I loved these books; I still do.

[Sheila]

Seconding (or thirding!) the Secret Country series.

[Ashley]

My vote's on the Secret Country as well

[Shannon]

It appears to be The Whim of the Dragon! Thank you so much. It was driving me right bonkers!
(Also, my apologies for the slow reply - I tend to log in somewhat sporadically. I'll move this thread and things here in just a moment!)

[Andria]

Congrats on finding your book, Shannon! I'm going to move this thread to "Children's/YA - Solved" since it's a YA book.

[Shannon]

Oh! My apologies. I wasn't aware it counted as YA since the site I checked the genre on just called it fantasy. Thank you for the correction.