Amulet, Book One: The Stonekeeper

By Kazu Kibuishi. Published by Scholastic. 

Softcover, 192 pages, Colour, 2008. 

After the tragic death of their father, Emily and Navin move with their mother to the home of her deceased great-grandfather. The strange house proves to be dangerous. Before long, a tentacled creature lures the kids' mom through a door in the basement. Em and Navin, desperate not to lose her, follow her into a fantastical world inhabited by robots, mysterious plants, and talking animals. It's up to Em and Navin to figure out how to set things right and save their mother's life!