of sticking her tongue in her cheek, especially when thinking. Charles Oakenfeld- Charles is the middle child, a fact that he detests. Smart and scientifically minded for his age, he even takes special classes. He is also very shy and quiet though, and likes to think things through. Charles constantly argues with his older sister, Susan, mainly about her "affected" way of speaking. He has a keen interest in antiquated technology, such as old radios and televisions. He wears glasses, has brown hair, and is small for his age. Murray Oakenfeld- At age five, Murray is the youngest of the three Oakenfeld children. He starts out as innocent and fun-loving, but after he gets angry at Susan and hides in the dumbwaiter he comes out acting and speaking like an adult. He wears a mysterious golden locket, and has an alter ego named Mario – who is him, only five years older. Reception Sarah Sawtelle of Kidsreads found the book a "well-crafted adventure series that is sure to be another children's classic". Releases and sequel The book was first released in the United States and the United Kingdom in a hardcopy edition on September 17, 2005, by Bloomsbury Publishing (). It was subsequently released as a paperback version by Scholastic Books on October 31, 2006 (). A sequel titled The Lost Cities: A Drift House Voyage was released in 2007. References External links Bloomsbury Publishing's Drift House page 2005 American novels 2005 fantasy novels Children's fantasy novels American fantasy novels