Curse at Zala Manor

Book 1 in the Monster Moon mystery series. Fun, spooky mysteries for ages 8 to 12.

Terrific reviews: From Children's Literature Review: The Zantony family has a long history in the old pirate town of Craggy Cove. AJ Zantony knows he is different, but he never expected his premonitions of ghosts and zombies to lead to fulfilling his family legacy. As his Aunt Zsofia prepares for her annual Halloween party at Zala Manor, AJ unlocks the remains of a long--standing curse upon the Zantony estate. AJ and his science partner, Emily, must discover the secrets of the Zantony family history to end the curse before midnight on Halloween. As if that was not enough to keep AJ and Emily busy, they are also pursued by Calvin, Dirk, and Runt, the class bullies. Acting like real-life monsters, the three bullies are determined to make fun of AJ and Emily at all costs. Their antagonizing becomes a major hindrance in the fight against the haunting curse. However, the two are not alone on this mission; AJ and Emily are helped by a mysterious rat who leads them through the dank and dark history of the Zantony family and Zala Manor. This is the first of the "Monster Moon" series by BBH McChiller, a trio of writers from California with varied backgrounds that add up to dynamic and vivid storytelling."

Review from Monster Librarian: "In the vein of The Goonies and There's a Batwing in My Lunchbox comes Monster Moon: Curse at Zala Manor….This book has it all: secret tunnels and talking animals, mad science and real monsters. Perfect for in-class reading in elementary schools and early middle schools. Equal parts scary, mysterious, gross and silly, it's pure fun. Definitely recommended for all collections aimed at fostering a love of reading."

BBH McChiller is the creation of the minds of three authors: Lynn Kelley, Kathryn Sant, and Maria Toth. The Monster Moon series began one Halloween as a discussion about their greatest fears and ended up being one of their most rewarding experiences.