Monster Tree

Book excerpt: Stranger Things meets A Monster Calls in this spine-tingling, emotionally rich middle grade novel about a boy who must protect his neighborhood from a malevolent monster tree while dealing with the recent loss of his father. “Family and friendship form the center of this spooky yet moving story which will captivate young readers.” —Adrianna Cuevas, Pura Belpré Honor- and Edgar Award-winning author of The Total Eclipse of Nestor Lopez and The Ghosts of Rancho Espanto Something evil is growing . . . Linus used to be an artist, like his dad. Now his father is gone, and Linus’s mom has moved them to the other side of the city, hoping for a fresh start. Maybe, for the first time in months, Linus will even draw again. But there’s something unusual about their neighbor Maude and something wrong with the grotesque tree in her backyard. At night Linus sees it moving, changing, growing. When increasingly bizarre events plague the neighborhood—massive claw marks appearing on doors and cars, pets going missing, sightings of a red-eyed creature—he suspects Maude and her tree are to blame. With his home under threat, Linus teams up with his goofy best friend, Spencer, and no-nonsense new girl Abby to unearth whatever sinister seeds have been planted next door . . . where something truly monstrous is just taking root. Sarah Allen weaves together spooky supernatural adventure with a poignant tale of grief, the healing power of art, and the uniting force of friendship in Monster Tree.