Heidi Lang managed to stumble upon the two best jobs in the world: writing for kids and walking dogs. If she's not out on the trails surrounded by wagging tails and puppy kisses, she's probably hunched over her laptop working on her next book. She lives in northern California with her husband and two adventure-loving dogs, and she is the coauthor of the Mystic Cooking Chronicles and Whispering Pines series, and author of Out of Range. Find her on X (previously known as Twitter) @HidLang or visit the website she shares with her writing partner at HeidiandKatiBooks.com.
Kati Bartkowski was originally drawn to illustration before she got swept up in the world of words. Nowadays she's a fan of creating fantastical creatures and feisty heroines in both mediums. If she's not reading, writing, or drawing, she's probably chasing after her high energy little girl. She lives in northern California and is the coauthor of the Mystic Cooking Chronicles and Whispering Pines series. Find her on X (previously known as Twitter) @KTBartkowski or visit the website she shares with her writing partner at HeidiandKatiBooks.com.
Zombies, giant centipedes, and tentacled alien horrors come home to
roost in this series closer. Determined to shove as much ick into
their climactic episode as possible, Lang and Bartkowski open with
a young character who's still bleeding from the incision left from
cutting giant bugs out of his stomach while he was awake
("Horribly, terribly awake"). While he's fleeing a crowd of zombies
spitting infectious loogies, fellow middle schoolers brave hazards
ranging from tentacled trees to giant exploding centipedes in an
effort to prevent partly alien creepy crawlies (which the corrupt
eco-corporation Green On! is trying to weaponize) from escaping
into Connecticut. For readers who delight in tales about intrepid
young teens fighting multi-eyed monsters ("Rae's thumbs sank in
deep. She ignored the hot splash of gooey liquid trickling down her
hands and arms") or wrestling with both literal and figurative
inner demons in eerie settings amid splashes of blood and ichor and
the odd severed limb or cut-off scream, the town of Whispering
Pines definitely merits a visit. And, just to show that it was all
in fun, one humongous explosion later, nearly all the central cast
staggers out alive for fence-mending ("I'm sorry I tried to drink
your blood") and a pizza party. Everything but vampires...oh, wait.
(Horror. 8-13) --Kirkus Reviews "8/15/23"
PRAISE FOR THE WHISPERING PINES SERIES: "A thrilling novel perfect
for fans of Stranger Things and stories filled with mystery and
suspense." - Booklist, starred review of WHISPERING PINES "Perfect
for reading under a blanket with a flashlight." - Kirkus Reviews,
on WHISPERING PINES "Like 'Goosebumps, ' but for an older audience,
this book seems custom made for kids who like a good scare." -
School Library Journal, on WHISPERING PINES "Delightful mash-up of
science fiction, ghost stories, and horror." - BCCB, on WHISPERING
PINES "An unpredictable, unrelenting adventure." - Publishers
Weekly, on WHISPERING PINES "Will leave readers screaming for the
next installment." - Kirkus Reviews, starred review of INFESTATION
"A cosmic blend of magical monsters and scary science as
frightening as it is fun." - Kirkus Reviews, on RECKONING
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