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Dread Wood

Book Synopsis

It’s basically the worst school detention ever. When classmates (but not mate-mates) Hallie, Angelo, Gustav and Naira are forced to come to school on a SATURDAY, they think things can’t get much worse. But they’re wrong. Things are about to get seriously scary.

What has dragged their teacher underground? Why do the creepy caretakers keeping humming the tune to Itsy Bitsy Spider? And what horrors lurk in the shadows, getting stronger and meaner every minute . . .? Cut off from help and in danger each time they touch the ground, the gang’s only hope is to work together. But it’s no coincidence that they’re all there on detention. Someone has been watching and plotting and is out for revenge . . .

Our Review Panel says...

Jennifer Killick skillfully mixes the unsettling and the comic, in the context of a pacy plot. Her light-hearted writing style and liberal use of dialogue effectively capture the voices and characters of Angelo, through whose eyes the story is told, and the other three children. It also makes the characters relatable and realistic, despite the gothic horror of the events. This book is sure to appeal to a wide audience of children, especially the many who like the Goosebumps series and ‘scary’ books. I am looking forward to sharing it with children in Year 5 and 6 where I know it will be a read for pleasure hit.

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