SOLVED. Children's/ Youth (maybe Fantasy) - two brothers find a map in a junkyard/landfill they go on a quest to find a tower and retrieve something from it. [s]

[Zoe]

(This is extremely vague)
I read this book in 2013, I remember it was either the final in a series/trilogy, or a stand alone. The two boys live in an orphanage type place run by a nasty woman(who has a nasty son) the orphanage is on top of a junkyard/landfill and everyday the children there have to search for stuff of value for the woman to sell. One day the brothers find the remains of a horse(I think) and a satchel, in the satchel is a map, or directions, and an image of a tower(the image is also shown in the book) it is lop sided, each level is different, and it's very unstable. There is something at the top of the tower they just retrieve however I can't remember what. They set out on a quest to find this tower.
Some chapters switch to the future, where one brother is on a boat with a girl, and a short man with a moustache. He is sailing the boat, and telling them about his adventure with his brother.(which is the plot of the story I believe) the chapters set on the boat are in the perspective of the girl I think.
I remember more about the end however I don't want to spoil. All I will say is there is a place at the end after they go through the tower and have completed their quest where once you stay there you don't age.
I read this when I was obsessed with Emily Rodda(idk if that helps) however I am 90% sure this is not an Emily Rodda book

[Zoe]

It may or may not have been fantasy I can't remember

[Zoe]

I believe the horse and satchel belonged to somebody important, however I can't remember. I remember the end of the book best, however I wish to not spoil it, as it was a very good book. I just have a bad memory...

[Kate]

Zoe, you can bump this thread every month or so. This way it will move to the top of the Unsolved folder, and more people are likely to see it ... and perhaps recognize your book.

[Zoe]

if someone wants more details to help solve, please ask :)

[Kris]

Can we rule out The Wishing Tower by Gene Kemp?

Zoe, are there fantastical creatures or people with special powers?

Is it always referred to as a tower or a castle perhaps?

Reference - Emily Rodda is the author mentioned by Zoe.

[Zoe]

Kris wrote: "Can we rule out The Wishing Tower by Gene Kemp?

Zoe, are there fantastical creatures or people with special powers?

Is it always referred to as a tower or a castle ..."

hi, no it's not the wishing tower by gene kemp
and i think there may be some fantastical creature/people with special powers (i think, i have a bad memory)
I'm pretty sure it's most often referred to as a tower.
thankyou for your help! :D

[Ayshe]

It could have been British or Australian book? What country were you in when you read it?

Adding details can only be helpful in getting it solved :) If you can't get the spoiler tag to work (directions are in the "Some HTML is OK" link to the upper right of the posting box) I've seen some members place spoiler warning and the actual spoiler several lines down.

[Zoe]

Ayshe wrote: "It could have been British or Australian book? What country were you in when you read it?

Adding details can only be helpful in getting it solved :) If you can't get the spoiler tag to work (dire..."

hi, i was in Australia, but the library i borrowed it from had books from authors from all around the world.
thankyou for yor help!

[Lobstergirl, au gratin]

Zoe, are you still looking for this or did you find it?

[Zoe]

I’m still looking Lobstergirl

[Kris]

Do the brothers travel to a fantasy world (how?) or do they live in a fantasy world?

How old are the brothers? Twins? Who are and what happened to their parents?

[Zoe]

Kris, im not 100% sure ,, I believe they live in a fantasy world ? But like I mentioned in the original post I read this boook 7 years ago so I’m not fully sure ,, sorry ! And I don’t know what happened to the parents , all I know is that they’re not with them and are under the care of some “evil” woman and her son who has some crazy dog ?

[Zoe]

Oh also Kris, I know one is older and one is younger , But by the end of the book/series one has stayed in a place where he is young forever and the other is old , like adult and sailing a ship with a young girl and a short man with a beard

[Kris]

A long shot - The Mapmaker's Sons by V.L. Burgess?

"[T]his novel for middle schoolers follows Thomas Hawkins, a student no different from his peers at the Lost Preparatory Academy for Boys, until a man with a wooden leg appears and Thomas must leave the life he knows or chance not reaching his next birthday, which is only days away. After years of scaling the school's rooftops, engaging in swordplay and treasure hunts with his friends, and fighting-off blood thirsty pirates, this imaginary world suddenly becomes all too real. And as if a close encounter with a pirate isn't enough, Thomas discovers a brother he never knew and a gift that will eventually save both their lives: he can make maps come alive."

[Zoe]

Possibly ,, I’m finding it difficult to work it out , I’m going to look at my library and check this one out to see if it is or not ,, right now it doesn’t seem like it ,, but I really hope so ! I’ll give you an update soon hopefully, thanks for ur help !!

[Maarit]

Could it be Andy Mullingans Trash? The book was published in 2010 and though it's not fantasy, it fits in some of the description you gave.

There are three boys who live in this huge junkyard and one day one of them finds a satchel, which has something very important inside it. One of the boys wants to be a fisherman, if he gets out of the junkyard. The book is told through multiple persons and the boys are chased around because of what's inside the satchel.

[Zoe]

Thanks for your help ,, but I know it’s not trash, we read trash a few years back at school and I know for a fact it’s not what I’m thinking of , but thankyou for your help !

[Rainbowheart]

Does anything on the What Rubbish! list look familiar?

[Noah]

Hi! I've been searching for this exact book for years! Any updates on if you've found it or not?

[Kris]

No response, moving to Abandoned folder.

Zoe (OP) was last active on the site in March 2020.

[Zoe]

Noah (and anyone else interested) it’s the Land of Elyon series!! — the specific book was called Into the Mist, but there are 4 books in the series

[Kris]

Great! Glad you found your book, Zoe. Thanks for the update.

Into the Mist (book 0.5) of The Land of Elyon by Patrick Carman