SOLVED. Boy Ends up in House that is Alive and He Cannot Leave [s]

[Brett]

I'm looking for a book my wife read back in middle school, around 2000. The plot involved a boy who was at home looking out the window, was unhappy, and there was a very heavy fog outside. He somehow left his home and ended up in another house (he may have followed someone there). Once there, he meets a young girl. They play and have fun. Things get weird, and the boy realizes he can't leave. There are some adults in the house, but they act very strange.

The boy and girl try to find a way out of the house, and end up in the attic, where they discover that the house itself is alive. Somehow, they successfully leave and the house is destroyed. Beyond that, the ending is very hazy. There was possibly a time lapse involved, as my wife seems to remember the "kids" coming back later as adults to find that the house is gone. Or, the kids came back to the real world to find that time had passed and though they were still children, their parents/families had passed on. Again, my wife is pretty hazy on the ending, but she is sure that somehow, the boy and girl meet again after escaping the house.

This book most likely came out between 1990 and 2000; possibly earlier, but not much. It was intended for middle grades/juvenile readers.

[Paul]

She's thinking of The Thief of Always, an excellent, excellent book.

[Brett]

Paul,

Thank you, that's it! The minute my wife heard the title, she remembered it. We Googled and searched for hours before we finally found this forum. Can't believe we have an answer so quickly!

Thanks again,
Brett