Beware the Jacks

Middle Schooler Dahlia is bummed that her best and only friend, Lucy, has moved away. She has a new chance at friendship with Penelope Mullins who moves to Lucy's old house. Unfortunately, Penelope's family has moved onto allegedly cursed land and planted a pumpkin patch without knowing the old lore. On Autumn Equinox, the night of the town's annual Harvest Festival, the jack-o-lanterns carved from the pumpkins of Mullins Farm come alive and steal the citizens of the town. It's up to Dahlia, Penelope, Dahlia's new step-brother Levi, and the class bully name to team up and figure out how to undo the curse before it's too late! Laura Lavoie loves all things spooky and mysterious. As a kid, she devoured Nancy Drew mysteries and the Goosebumps books by R.L. Stine. In addition to her middle grade novels Beware the Jacks and The Thirteens Doors of Black House, Laura is a picture book author whose titles include the just-a-little-bit-spooky Vampire Vacation and Monster Baker. When she isn't reading or writing, Laura enjoys sipping tea, rainy days, and taking walks in the woods. She lives in upstate New York with her husband, daughters, two persnickety cats, and one goofy golden retriever.