Families who loved Ingo by Helen Dunmore often look for books with a similar feel. These 20 recommendations were selected for their similarity in style, theme, and reading level.
Reach for this book when your child is processing a significant loss or navigating the complicated emotions of a parent's unexplained absence. Ingo provides a safe, metaphorical space to explore the 'magnetic pull' of grief and the feeling that a missing loved one has simply moved into a different, unreachable world. It is a hauntingly beautiful story about Sapphire and her brother Conor, who live on the rugged Cornish coast and find themselves drawn to a mysterious underwater realm following their father's disappearance at sea. While the book is a fantasy adventure involving Mer culture, its true heart lies in the realistic depiction of a family trying to heal while clinging to hope. The story balances the wonder of the ocean with the very real dangers of getting lost in one's own longing. It is ideal for middle-grade readers who appreciate atmospheric writing and stories that treat their complex emotions with respect and depth.