October 30, 2023
Arriving at their gothic Dread Wood Academy for Saturday morning detention, four seventh graders find themselves embroiled in an even ghastlier predicament in this creepy crawly, morbidly comedic horror mystery by British author Killick. Angelo, a loner experiencing food insecurity; overachieving Naira; impassioned activist Hallie; and wisecracking Gus trudge to their assigned “Back on Track” session after a string of moral trespasses at school land them in trouble. Initially glum because of their confiscated phones, the group kicks into survival mode when their supervising teacher Mr. Canton is dragged beneath the athletic field by a spider “the size of a dog,” leaving the youths to fend for themselves against the monstrous arachnids and the married groundskeepers who appear to be controlling them. As the tweens trauma-bond over the eerie coincidences that forced them into detention, they puzzle over why they are being targeted and attempt to survive the ordeal. Between nail-biting chase scenes and elegantly wrought character development, hardly a moment is wasted in this arachnophobia-inducing thriller, making for an icky-fun adventure full of scares and gallows humor. Main characters default to white. Ages 8–12. Agent: Kirsty McLachlan, Morgan Green Creatives.
December 1, 2023
Four kids sentenced to Saturday detention learn that their school grounds are hiding some sinister secrets. For Angelo and fellow students Hallie, Naira, and Gus, their punishment seems like the worst thing ever. At first it appears the kids couldn't be more different, and there's no love lost between any of them, but as they spend time together, they start to discover commonalities and begin developing mutual respect, which comes in handy when their teacher suddenly disappears into a crack in the ground. As it turns out, the forest surrounding Dread Wood Academy is home to some terrifying giant creatures. Are the elderly couple employed by the school who constantly sing or whistle "Itsy Bitsy Spider" harmless eccentrics...or are they up to something nefarious? As the foursome shift from being mostly strangers to a tightknit, supportive team, their banter becomes realistic and at times quite humorous. Though the novel is narrated by Angelo, all the kids deal with personal problems and open up about bad decisions they've made to protect themselves at the expense of others; their realizations about themselves provide considerable depth and character development alongside the shudder-inducing horrors and moments of action and suspense. No mention is made of the characters' races or ethnicities. A creepy tale that boasts both thrills and authentically complex characters. (Horror. 10-14)
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