The Tale of the Gravemother (Are You Afraid of the Dark #1)

Book excerpt: Inspired by Nickelodeon’s hit TV classic Are You Afraid of the Dark? comes the nightmarish first novel in an all-new middle-grade horror series from master horror writer Rin Chupeco—now in paperback with a sneak peak from The Tale of the Twisted Toymaker, the chilling second book in the series The Gravemother won’t rest until she gets what she wants . . . Everyone in Solitude knows the legend of Stilgarth Manor, the former home of a wealthy heiress believed to be responsible for the disappearance of three orphaned children long ago. When Zane Kincaid and his family move to town to claim ownership of the manor, all eyes are on them. What Zane and his family don’t know is that demolition efforts have awakened the fury of a long-dormant spirit . . . one bent on vengeance. Zane’s new classmates are friendly—except for the mortician’s son, Garrett Sevilla, who dislikes Zane from the start. When Zane and Garrett are the only ones in a crowd of people to witness a jawless woman emerging from the manor grounds, they’re forced to acknowledge each other. Soon after, the spirit begins terrorizing Solitude. Can the two boys set aside their differences and put the Gravemother’s spirit to rest once and for all, or will the Gravemother claim new victims . . . starting with Zane’s sister, Emma? This terror-inducing first tale in an all-new series based on Nickelodeon’s hit TV classic Are You Afraid of the Dark?—and told by members of an all-new Midnight Society—is sure to keep readers up at night. This volume includes a chapter from The Tale of the Twisted Toymaker by acclaimed horror writer Danielle Valentine.