Today's read... Scream for the Camera by Lisi Harrison and Daniel Kraus

It's almost October, and I have a great read to lead into the spookier month of the year. This is the second in a series, and believe it or not, I have read the first. I'm hoping this one holds as much fun as the first book in the series. So, grab that blanket and flashlight because this should be spooky fun.

SCREAM FOR THE CAMERA

Graveyard Girls, #2

by Lisi Harrison and Daniel Kraus

Union Square Kids

Middle Grade Mystery / Horror

256 pages

ages 8 to 12

COMING...

OCTOBER 3rd!!!

New York Times bestselling authors Lisi Harrison and Daniel Kraus deliver a s lightly scary, extremely addictive contemporary middle-grade series—perfect for fans of R.L. Stine’s Goosebumps and Ann M. Martin’s The Babysitters Club.
 
It’s been a month since the Graveyard Girls—Gemma, Whisper, Sophie, Frannie, and Zuzu—discovered Silas Hoke’s empty grave. A month, and no answers. That changes when messages from the other side start to creep up on the Graveyard Girls. Gemma’s good-luck charm. The skull in Whisper’s spilled milk. Sophie’s vanishing phone. Frannie’s theater curse. And Zuzu’s possessed Jōurnal. Who is trying to reach them . . . and why?
 
The good There might be one person with some answers. The bad She’s a mortician . . . with a deadly secret.
 
Speaking of bad news, straight-A Sophie is quickly sliding down the scale to becoming a B-flat friend. She is spending way more time hanging out with “Danger Me” and way less time with the Graveyard Girls and her schoolwork. Will her scary story be enough to win back her pals, or will her picture-perfect life become the ultimate photo bomb?

GOODREADS   /    B&N    /     AMAZON    /    PENGUIN BOOK SHOP

MY TIDBITS

Middle school drama mixes with spooks, chilling moments, mystery, and a wonderful dose of friendship for a fun read.

The tale takes off right away, and while building from where book one left off, it's not too hard to sink right into this one. I would, however, recommend starting at the beginning of this series so all the information sits.

These girls might have a bit of experience thanks to the first adventure, but there's so much they aren't ready for...and that hits even in the first pages. The switch between girls and their perspectives runs smoothly and is never confusing. Instead, each personality shines and gives insight into what's going on. This is a fun group with tons of spunk.

Edging into spooky, there's a well-balanced mix of thrills, humor, and drama. It edges on scary but manages to remain in the middle grade range. So, those who like creeps and surprises will enjoy it.  Friendship also rings high for this group, even when the girls have their own issues to deal with. Of course, the supernatural world is best to handle when they stick together. 

It's a fun read with a plot which runs smoothly along. And surprises are guaranteed.

And here they are...

Lisi Harrison has written thirty-seven YA and middle-grade novels including the #1 New York Times bestselling series The Clique, which has sold more than eight million copies, and the Monster High series. In 2021, Harrison launched two new middle-grade books series, Girl Stuff and The Pack. Lisi lives in California, and in addition to her work as an author, she is the cofounder of Thrive, a wellness center that teaches tweens, teens, and parents how to have healthy, drama-free friendships. Visit her at lisiharrison.com or thriveswell.com.

Daniel Kraus is an award-winning, New York Times bestselling horror writer and coauthor of both the Trollhuntersseries and The Shape of Water with Guillermo del Toro. Kraus has won a Scribe Award and two Odyssey Awards, has been a Library Guild selection, a YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults recipient, a Bram Stoker finalist, and more. His work has been translated into more than twenty-five languages. Daniel lives in Chicago. Visit him at danielkraus.com.

Today's read... 1-2-3-4, I Declare a Thumb War by Lisi Harrison and Daniel Kraus

 Today's read screams spooky...just right for the approaching Halloween season. I love the graveyard flair on the cover right alone with those nerdy glasses and girl power. Or girl spook? Since I was more than curious to see what this has to do with a thumb war, there was no way I wouldn't take a peek at these pages. Of course, from under a blanket with a flashlight during the middle of the night. (Okay, not the middle of the night, but we can all dream?)

This one released just a few days ago, just in time for the cooler, darker nights.

1-2-3-4 I DECLARE A THUMB WAR

Graveyard Girls, #1

by Lisi Harrison and 

Daniel Kraus

Union Square Kids

Middle Grade Horror

284 pages

ages 8 to 12

Meet Whisper, Frannie, Sophie, Gemma, and Zuzu, five friends who tell eerie tales by night and navigate middle school drama by day.
 
MISERY FALLS, OREGON, IS ABUZZ AS the 100th anniversary of the electrocution of the town’s most infamous killer, Silas Hoke, approaches. When a mysterious text message leads the girls to the cemetery—where Silas Hoke is buried!—life can’t get any creepier. Except, yes, it can thanks to the surprise storyteller who meets them at the cemetery, inspires the first-ever meeting of the Graveyard Girls, and sets the stage for a terrifying tale from Whisper that they’ll never forget.
 
This slightly scary, extremely addictive story is the first in a five-book series by New York Times bestselling authors Lisi Harrison and Daniel Kraus.

GOODREADS: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/60398330-1-2-3-4-i-declare-a-thumb-war

AMAZON: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1454944544

BOOK DEPOSITORY: https://www.bookdepository.com/1-2-3-4-I-Declare-Thumb-War-Lisi-Harrison-Daniel-Kraus/9781454944546

B&N: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/1-2-3-4-i-declare-a-thumb-war-lisi-harrison/1140994045

MY TIDBITS

The ghost of an executed murderer, spooky tales, and a spunky group of 5 girls mix steering through school drama with dangerous paranormal for a fun and chilling read.

Five best friends have formed a ghost-story club, which meets every few weeks so that they can share the scariest tales with each other. More or less. Add that it's time for the town's annual historical celebration of the brutal killer's, Silas Hoke, execution, and chills are guaranteed. That is until the friends receive a strange message, requesting them to meet at the graveyard. Now, the ghost stories are more real and dangerous than any of them had hoped.

Spooks and chills run high in these pages with enough leans to the dark-side to delight young, horror fans. There are some scarier moments with a step into brutality...after all, Silas Hoke was not a gentle murderer. Still, it's nothing more than the average reader at this intended level can handle. It does keep the tension high and holds enough surprises to keep those pages turning until the end. Even then, the ending leaves the reader wanting to know what will happen next. Luckily, there's more to come, since this is only the first in the series.

The tale reads smoothly as it switches between six points of view: each of the five friends and the mysterious ghost. Each chapter starts with the name of the character to help keep things from growing confusing, and this works quite well, especially since each one has their own interests and personality to keep them differentiated, anyway. It did take a few chapters to get a handle on each one, though, since there are also many side-characters involved. But once I got into the swing of things, it was actually helpful and engaging to approach the story from the various views. Plus, each of the five girls has other problems they are dealing with.

While the ghost, danger, and chills race the story forward, there's also quite a bit of school drama. Each girl has their own, very usual problems with family and friends. The ghost, while present from the very first chapter, seems to sit on the sidelines for the beginning half of the book before stepping up his game later on. But that doesn't hurt the tension. The individual problems of the girls not only builds each of their personalities but makes each one easier to connect with...and builds background for the story to let the chills sit even better later on. Those, who hate school drama, though, might find this aspect a bit much.

This is a fast-read with something happening on every page. It's very character driven and never lets a boring moment seep in. The balance of school drama with chills will probably entice a broad range of readers, especially since it does dive into creepy well. Especially the lower end of the middle grade audience will want to pick up this one to get ready for the spooky season.

And here they are...

Lisi Harrison, the queen of teen comedy, has written 37 YA and middle-grade novels including Monster High and the #1 New York Times bestselling series The Clique, which has sold more than eight million copies. Lisi launched two new middle-grade series in 2021, Girl Stuff and The Pack. She lives in California. Visit her at lisiharrison.com.
 
Daniel Kraus is a New York Times bestselling horror author and co-author of both Trollhunters and The Shape of Water with Guillermo del Toro. His work has been translated into more than twenty-five languages. Daniel lives in Illinois. Visit him at danielkraus.com.