The Memory Bank by Carolyn Coman & Rob Shepperson 263 pages

Carolyn Coman has written before about very dysfunctional families (What Jamie Saw was a Newbery Honor and National Book Award finalist). Hope Scroggins has THE WORST PARENTS I have encountered in a children's book. This out-Dahl's Dahl (Matilda, James and the Giant Peach). One day, her parents force her sister, Honey out of the car on a family outing and order Hope to forget her. Hope is ordered to report to The Memory Bank because she stopped recording her dreams after she lost her sister. While there, she thinks of a way that she might be able to save her sister. However, the Cleann Slate Gang is out to clear memories and if they succeed, Honey will be gone to her forever. This is obviously a rather surreal book -- it reminded me a bit of Sendak's universe and particularly Outside, Over There in which a baby brother is kidnapped by trolls. This also has full page black and white illustrations (by Shepperson).