The Stone Child by Dan Poblocki

From the Publisher

What if the monsters from your favorite horror books were real?

Eddie Fennicks has always been a loner, content to lose himself in a mystery novel by his favorite author, Nathaniel Olmstead. That’s why moving to the small town of Gatesweed becomes a dream come true when Eddie discovers that Olmstead lived there before mysteriously disappearing thirteen years ago. Even better, Eddie finds a handwritten, never-before-seen Nathaniel Olmstead book printed in code and befriends Harris, who’s as much an Olmsteady as he is. But then the frightening creatures of Olmstead’s books begin to show up in real life, and Eddie’s dream turns into a nightmare. Eddie, Harris, and their new friend, Maggie, must break Olmstead’s code, banish all gremlins and monster lake-dogs from the town of Gatesweed, and solve the mystery of the missing author, all before Eddie’s mom finishes
writing her own tale of terror and brings to life the scariest creature of all.

School Library Journal

Gr 5–8—Eddie, 12, is excited to be moving to Gatesweed, since his favorite author, Nathaniel Olmstead, lived there before he disappeared 13 years earlier. But it soon becomes evident that not everyone in Gatesweed is an "Olmsteady." Was the man responsible for all the tragic things that happened there? Eddie discovers what looks like a never-published Olmstead book written in code. His attempts to decipher it lead him to his first real friendships, with schoolmates Harris and Maggie, and escalating encounters with strange and frightening phenomena. Will the three kids be able to translate the manuscript and figure out what happened to Olmstead before the fabric of the universe is destroyed and the Woman in Black is freed to create havoc forever? Think John Bellairs, with a touch of R. L. Stine and Christopher Pike, and then add in a liberal sprinkling of Judeo-Christian mythology involving the Garden of Eden and its first inhabitants. The creep factor is high but not graphic, and the kids act and react like real kids. The adults (with the exception of Olmstead) play small but believable roles. Two minor quibbles—the cover art represents an important plot point, but isn't going to do much to sell the story, and the font used for the "handwritten" portions of the book is difficult to read. Still, this briskly paced novel is sure to be popular with fans of scary stuff.—Mara Alpert, Los Angeles Public Library

Kirkus Reviews

Eddie Fennicks is new to Gatesweed, Mass., when he discovers it's the home of Nathaniel Olmstead, his favorite writer. But the author has disappeared, creatures from his novels have come alive, children have gone missing and there have even been unexplained deaths. When Eddie's mother finds The Enigmatic Manuscript, a book written in code by Olmstead, at an antiques fair, Eddie and his new friends Harris and Maggie work to break that code and solve the mystery. The third-person narrative voice suits the breadth of the tale, which ranges from Gatesweed to Dracula's Romania and the Garden of Eden. Though the novel misses a chance for philosophical weight, it succeeds admirably in its intricate plotting, weaving together long excerpts from Olmstead's books, exciting face-offs with monsters and the efforts of the three young protagonists to decode the text and act in time to save the world. Fans of John Bellairs will enjoy this fine debut. (Fantasy. 9-14)

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