Nineteen Hundred Days by Florence Osmund
When twelve-year-old Ben’s parents don’t come home from work one day, he doesn’t know what to think—they’ve shown lack of responsibility before, but nothing like this. Then when he discovers the phone service had been cut off, he panics.
Ben’s six-year-old sister Lucy is more scared than he is, and she clings to him for support. Both children are fearful of the police and Child Protective Services and don’t want to end up in a foster home. Ben considers going to the only neighbor he knows, but he doesn’t trust that she won’t turn them over to the authorities.
Isolated from family and neighbors and viewing police and social service workers as enemies, Ben and Lucy hide themselves away in their home for several days before becoming desperate and venturing out into the world. Their journey—fraught with obstacles and people who may not have their best interests at heart—plays a significant role in building Ben’s character and eventually determining his fate.