Elem./MG – Exit 13: The Whispering Pines

Preller, James. Exit 13: The Whispering Pines. Scholastic, 2023. 978-1-338-81044-8. 187 p. $7.99. Grades 3-6.

Lost in the gloom, the McGinn family reluctantly checks into the Exit 13 Motel for the night. Somehow, the young man at the desk, Kristoff, seems to be expecting them… and their rooms are already prepared. Intending only to stay for one night, the family’s stay is extended after Mr. McGinn injures himself and is unable to drive. Since their arrival, the youngest McGinn, Ash, has felt there was something wrong with the motel and is drawn to the woods behind the motel and the wolf-like creature that seems to live in them. As the story develops, the McGinn family seems unable to find a means to leave the hotel area. To escape, Ash and his sister, Willow, along with their newfound friend, Justice, must solve its mystery and that of the woods beyond. Ending on a cliffhanger, this book is part of a series designed to encourage further reading.

THOUGHTS: Lately, my younger students have been requesting “scary books,” and I’ve had a limited selection to offer them. The Whispering Pines presents a balanced scare factor that will appeal to the younger set (without terrifying them) and entice my older readers looking for a quick read. The chapters are short and several graphic novel sequences move the story along, presenting a format that is appealing to fans of graphics but also supporting reluctant readers. Recommended for those seeking to add to their “scary” collections for younger readers or those looking for books with built-in supports for striving readers.

Mystery

MG – Ravenous Things

Chow, Derrick. Ravenous Things. Disney Hyperion, 2022. 978-1-368-07763-7. 325 p. $16.99. Grades 4-7.

Reggie misses his dad so much. He knows he should feel stupid going to his dad’s grave and giving him a birthday present – a model of the Enterprise he made, but it’s the only way he can feel close to him. When a curious, oddly speaking man accosts him on his way home from the cemetery, he tells Reggie he can obtain his heart’s desire if he comes to the subway station at midnight. There is only one thing Reggie wants, his dad back. Maybe he’ll be less angry then. Maybe his mom will become herself again, instead of the spaced out agoraphobe she has become. Even though Reggie is skeptical, he boards the train, joining dozens of other kids, including his arch enemy, Gareth, and Chantal, a peppy, bossy Black girl. Each child is thrilled to be reunited with their deceased loved one, but the dream-come-true reunions quickly turn into nightmares, and the three team up to escape from the terrifying parallel world. As the trio attempts to unravel the situation, they uncover a Pied Piper tale taken to extremes. The verminous conductor is luring children underground in order to replace them with transformed rats. Can the three friends stop the conductor and return the lost children to their homes? This creepy horror story provides chills and shivers galore, while exploring the manifestations of grief and loss in children. The three protagonists have dealt with loss in three generational forms, each of it traumatic and life altering. Their teamwork to derail the conductor offers them support as they work through grief, loss, and survivor guilt. Reggie acknowledges his anger issues, Gareth reclaims his music, and Chantal emerges from her sister’s memory. Reggie presents as Asian, Garrett is white, and Chantel is Black. 

THOUGHTS: This story succeeds on multiple levels. The Pied Piper tale is imaginative and creepy, but balanced by the exploration of grief and its aftermath. Purchase where horror books are popular. 

Horror         Nancy Nadig, Penn Manor SD

MG – Dark Waters

Arden, Katherine. Dark Waters. G. P. Putnam’s Sons, 2021. 978-0-593-10915-1. $16.99. 198 p. Grades 4-7.

Best friends Brian, Ollie and Coco are back in this third book of Katherine Arden’s spooky Small Spaces series. This time, the three friends, Ollie’s dad, Coco’s mom, and school acquaintance Phil are on a quest to find Champ, the legendary monster that supposedly lives in Lake Champlain. The group sets sail on the tour boat Cassandra with Phil’s uncle, Dane Dimmonds, so that Coco’s mom can write an article about Champ for the local paper, but the trip quickly turns deadly when a real lake monster sinks the boat, kills a member of the tour group, and strands the survivors on a remote island on Lake Champlain. Brian recognizes similarities in their plight to a story he read about a smuggler’s ship that disappeared over 200 years ago on the same lake, and he also worries that The Smiling Man that tried to trap the friends during previous adventures is involved in this newest disaster as well. Phil, Ollie, Coco, and Brian must work together with their knowledge of the Smiling Man and his evil tricks if they want to get off the island alive!

THOUGHTS: This book would appeal to a wide range of middle school readers; it combines ghost stories, paranormal activities, adventure, and survival into one thrilling story! The dynamics of this friend group are realistic and engaging, and the chilling presence of The Smiling Man provides a consistent thread throughout this series that will keep readers coming back for many future adventures.

Horror Fiction          Erin Faulkner, Cumberland Valley SD