For the kids looking for more dark and twisted tales, Erika is here to bring you a middle grade scare! 

Whispering Pines by Heidi Lang & Kati Bartkowski
All available formats here

After the disappearance of her father, Rae and her family move down to Whispering Pines. While being the new kid usually has its own problems, Rae is met with the town’s “normal” of the paranormal. After the first friend she made turns into a zombie and meets the senior consultant of a company that seems to be running the entire town, Rae partners up with the town’s ‘freakshow’ Caden to find out what is going on in Whispering Pines.

This book is fun, creepy, and will want you to continue the rest of the series. A blend of Stranger Things, X-Files, and a dash of Scooby Doo (no Great Dane though, sadly.) The prologue will pull you in with the sacrifice of expendable children and the introduction of The Unseeing. There are an abundance of mysteries, yet not so many that you will have a hard time keeping up. The “definitely not suspicious whatsoever” Green On! Company that has somehow monopolized an entire town, the mysterious magic Caden and his family hold, and what really happened to Rae’s father, oh and of course the monster that is taking the eyes and possibly the souls of children, are all interwoven to keep readers reading. 

Check out what School Library Journal calls “ Like ‘Goosebumps,’ but for an older audience, this book seems custom made for kids who like a good scare. A high appeal horror suitable for middle grade and tween readers.”; Kirkus Reviews says “perfect for reading under a blanket with a flashlight”; and Booklist highlights that “readers will enjoy meeting the vast array of interesting side characters as well—and have to decide which ones to trust and which ones to suspect.”