Books to counter the dark side of Halloween for MiddleGrade readers.

Halloween can be a "tricky" time for kids as we do our best to counter some of the darker sides of the holiday. These books, which carry positive messages, can help. "Treat" your young reader to something different this year.

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Ghosts in the Old Attic

Sam Cooper is about to get the surprise of his life. His parents plan to leave Harper’s Inlet and move to Louisiana, where they will open a bed and breakfast.

When the family arrives, Sam’s cousins have some pretty wild-eyed stories to tell about a “haunted” mansion nearby. He and his cousins begin exploring the creepy place. Where were those noises coming from and the strange lights at night? There is also a rumor that the reason this place is “haunted” is because there is buried treasure hidden someplace. 

As the cousins are investigating, Sam’s parents have been looking for an available property they can afford.

Sam was in for another surprise when he found out about the rundown mansion his parents finally chose to buy. Who is trying to discourage them from moving in and why?

Will the family be able to open the bed and breakfast before it’s too late, or will they lose all their money?

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Whispers in the Graveyard

Josh didn’t like moving from his safe, comfortable house into a cramped apartment in Chicago. His father had taken a new job and the family hadn’t found the right house yet. But Josh made friends with Kim, Mason, and Dexter. The four boys did everything together. Dexter’s father was a funeral director.

The boys’ biggest problem was that the quickest way to the subway was straight through the center of the biggest cemetery Josh had ever seen. The place was locked at night, but the boys knew how to get in. The only thing was, who’d want to?

One night, as the boys returned home after dark, a gang began chasing them. Josh and his friends had no choice but to duck into the cemetery. They thought the gang was scary, but that was nothing compared to what they saw and heard next.

The boys set out to unravel the mystery behind why those awful men were digging in the cemetery at night.

What they discovered was a gigantic drug smuggling ring, and the boys found themselves right in the middle of it.

Now if only the police can get there in time.  


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This Property is Condemned

A sign outside the old Remmington Mansion read, “This Property is Condemned.” Sam Cooper couldn’t figure out exactly what that meant. Even after his father explained it, he became more puzzled than ever. So, along with his friends, Tony and Tyler, he set out to solve the mystery. 

Sam thought the old place was abandoned. But, when the boys went to investigate, a curtain moved, and they discovered old Mrs. Remmington still lived in the crumbling house.

Sam was the kind of person who would try to right any wrong, or help anyone who was in trouble. And Mrs. Remmington was in a lot of it.

So, he organized the whole town to go out and fix the place up like new. But that’s when his problems really began.

Why did those men try to scare the old woman into moving? And, why were they threatening Sam and his friends?

No matter what it took, Sam was determined to find out.

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Snake Island

Rod Campbell loved to go tubing with his friends down the lazy river outside of town. They often wondered about Snake Island as they drifted by.

Then, one day Mr. Patterson rushed out in front of the boys as they rode their bikes. People around town said he was a little crazy since he’d come back from the war. Some said his injuries had affected his brain. But Mr. Patterson warned them about the island.

Rod talked his friends into camping out on the island since it was near his grandfather’s farm. If they could last the whole night, then there wouldn’t be anything to be afraid of they reasoned.

On the night of the campout, someone came to the island, dug a hole, and rolled a large piece of carpet in. Then he began covering it up. The boys were terrified when they realized the man digging the hole was Mr. Patterson.

They raced off the island. The next day they learned that the richest man in town was missing. Police suspected murder. 

Rod and his friends reported what they saw and Mr. Patterson was accused of the crime. But did he do it? And what did he bury in that hole?

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Shadow

Shadow is a classic, boy-and-his-dog story, filled with twists, turns, action,

danger, and mystery. For as long as he could remember, all Bobby Taylor ever wanted was a dog of his own…any dog. But, he had a problem. His step-father managed the local animal control facilities, and the last thing he wanted to see at home was another barking dog.

Bobby began to notice a severely neglected dog, in the back yard of a run-down home that he passes on his way to school. So, he sort of adopted this pitiful animal as his own. He even gave him a name; Shadow. Unfortunately, because the dog had been so mistreated, he had an extremely vicious side. But, whenever he was in Bobby’s presence, anyone would have thought that this was the most gentle dog in town.

Buck and his followers made it their mission to pick on Bobby with every opportunity. That’s because Bobby was one of the scrawniest kids in school.

Then a rash of vandalism struck the town of Mason City. It began small, but became increasingly destructive. After each hit, the vandals left their mark; a symbol that was always spray-painted on a wall or sidewalk. Bobby is able to keep Shadow, as his own dog, under one condition. If the dog ever attacks anyone, the sheriff has ordered that Bobby’s father would have to put the dog down.

What happens when Bobby finally discovers who’s behind the vandalism? And, when they know that he knows, they set out to make sure he never tells another human being. After Shadow ultimately saves Bobby’s life, he puts his own in jeopardy.

This story will remind readers how important it is to tell the truth, no matter what the consequences may be.

Bio - Max Elliot Anderson

Max Elliot Anderson grew up as a struggling, reluctant reader.  After surveying the market as an adult, he sensed the need for action-adventures and mysteries for readers 8 – 13, that would have interested him as a child. 

Using his extensive experience in the production of dramatic motion pictures, videos, and television commercials, Mr. Anderson brings that same visual excitement and heart-pounding action to the stories he writes. His books include different characters, setting, and plot as well as two traditional series. 

Young readers have reported that reading one of his books is like actually being in an exciting movie. 

Find these and other exciting books on Max Elliot Anderson’s Amazon Author Page https://www.amazon.com/Max-Elliot-Anderson/e/B002BLP3EE