The Missing Link by Kate Thompson
Danny has alway believed that his scientist mother is dead. But when a talking dog tells him it isn't true, Danny sets out on a mission to find his mother and her hidden laboratory in Fourth World. But Danny is locked in his own world, so he will need the help of his step-brother Christie, if he is to succeed. After a long and difficult journey the boys discover that Danny's mother in involved in some complex genetic engineering, and she holds the key to a new beginning for Danny.