Publisher Description

Identify suspects, gather clues, navigate puzzles, and solve the mystery in this interactive Choose Your Path thriller.Old Central School is closing for good. Why? Because it's reportedly haunted! Creepy noises, flickering lights, objects moving without explanation, Old Central has it all. The incidents have gotten so spooky that parents refuse to send their kids to school. Yet Irene Gorter, a student there, doesn't believe it's true-and she's hiring you to prove it. Choose your supplies, and let the investigation begin.You're the detective in this puzzling mystery by acclaimed author Deb Mercier. As you work your way through the story, it's up to you to

• identify suspects and gather clues,
• make choices that affect what happens,
• navigate challenging puzzles-from riddles to secret codes-and
• use deductive reasoning to determine what the crime was, how it happened, and whodunit.

Interactive books for kids are more popular than ever. Create your own adventure with the Detective: You book series for boys and girls. You're the main character. You make the choices. Will you solve the case?

Author Biography

Deb Mercier lives in greater Minnesota with her husband and outdoor critter friends. She writes books for young readers and works as a technical writer at Douglas Machine, Inc. When Deb's not writing, you can find her wandering the trails on bike and on foot, saving turtles from roadways, and playing flute in the Central Lakes Symphony Orchestra.Ryan Jacobson is an award-winning author and presenter. He has written more than 60 titlesfrom comic books to Choose Your Path adventures. Ryan prides himself on writing high-interest books for children and adults alike, so he can talk picture books in kindergarten, ghost stories in high school, and other fun stuff in between. His most popular titles include the Constellations Activity Book, Can You Survive the Adventures of Sherlock Holmes?, and Eagle in the Sky.Ryan greatly enjoys sharing his knowledge of writing and book publishing at schools and special events. When he isn't working on books, Ryan likes to build LEGO sets, play board games, and try new restaurants. He lives in eastern Minnesota with his wife and two sons.

Review

"I love a good mystery, especially when there is a ghost involved and even more so when I can be a part of solving it! The Ghost of Old Central School has it all. Rumor has it that Old Central School is haunted. Strange noises, stolen items, and flickering lights have people scared enough that Old Central School is ready to close its doors. But maybe there's something more to the story? The Ghost of Old Central School takes readers on an edge-of-your seat adventure to discover what's really happening in the so-called haunted halls. Can you figure out what's really going on at Old Central School?"
—Natalie Fowler, paranormal investigator, historian, and author

Long Description

Become a kid detective. Identify suspects, gather clues, navigate puzzles, and solve the mystery in this interactive Choose Your Path adventure. Old Central School is closing for good. Why? Because it's reportedly haunted! Creepy noises, flickering lights, objects moving without explanation, Old Central has it all. The incidents have gotten so spooky that parents refuse to send their kids to school. Yet Irene Gould, a student there, doesn't believe it's true--and she's hiring you to prove it. Choose your supplies, and let the investigation begin. You're the detective in this puzzling mystery. As you work your way through the story, it's up to you to identify suspects and gather clues. Make choices that affect what happens next. Navigate challenging puzzles--from mazes to secret codes--to build your case. Use deductive reasoning to determine what the crime was, how it happened, and whodunit. But be careful; one wrong choice could lead to your doom! Interactive books for kids are more popular than ever. Create your own adventure with the Detective: You book series for boys and girls. You're the main character. You make the choices. Will you solve the case?

Review Quote

"I love a good mystery, especially when there is a ghost involved and even more so when I can be a part of solving it! The Ghost of Old Central School has it all. Rumor has it that Old Central School is haunted. Strange noises, stolen items, and flickering lights have people scared enough that Old Central School is ready to close its doors. But maybe there's something more to the story? The Ghost of Old Central School takes readers on an edge-of-your seat adventure to discover what's really happening in the so-called haunted halls. Can you figure out what's really going on at Old Central School?" -- Natalie Fowler , paranormal investigator, historian, and author

Excerpt from Book

Hypothermia occurs when a victim''s body temperature drops below 95 degrees Fahrenheit. They shiver, become clumsy, and have trouble thinking. They grow tired, and soon their heart and lungs stop working. Eventually--if they don''t warm up in time--they die. Judging from your symptoms, you''re experiencing the early stages of this condition. You consider digging into your detective bag, but you already know nothing in there can help. You''re locked in a frigid vault, one that no wireless signal can penetrate. There''s no way to call for help and no way to open that door. Or is there? You study the entrance''s flat, metallic surface. There''s no handle to push and no knob to turn, but the news isn''t all bad. You spy a tiny, octagonal hole in the place where a doorknob would typically be. You recognize the hole as a safety release, built just in case anyone ever got trapped in here. It means that, hidden somewhere in this freezer, there''s a tool that fits perfectly into that hole, a tool that will unlatch the door and allow you to escape. You need to find it. Your renewed hope warms you, if only for a moment. You begin ripping into the boxes of food, checking them inside and out. You scan every inch of shelf space. You search every corner of the room. You find nothing. Where could they have hidden the tool? You try to guess, but every thought slips away like a fish through wet hands. The frigid air has begun affecting your brain, as well as your body. You concentrate harder. You''re missing something, and you know it. There has to be another hiding spot, something you overlooked. Suddenly, the idea you''ve been trying to grasp locks into place. You''ve been searching for a secret location, but the tool wouldn''t be hidden. It''s a life-saving devise for moments like this. It would be tucked away in an obvious spot. Like the ledge above the door. You lumber forward, hunched over, unable to straighten your arms, legs, or back. You reach the door and stretch with all of your might. Every muscle within your body feels like it''s tearing, yet you extend farther, your fingertips fumbling around the ledge. Thunk! Something falls to the floor: a tiny, L-shaped tool. Once again, hope pulses through you. You pick up the piece and try to fit it into the door''s hole, but your nearly frozen fingers refuse to cooperate. It''s like trying to tie your shoes while wearing a pair of oven mitts. You blow into your hands. You rub them together. You stick them under your shirt. Anything to warm them. You try the tool again. This time, it slides into place. You''re saved. But even after you turn the tool and hear the latch click open, the door doesn''t budge. Something is wrong. "Hello?" a familiar, muffled voice calls. You glance at the window. Irene looks back at you. Her eyes are as big as golf balls, her mouth wide open. You don''t have the strength to wonder what she''s doing here. "O-o-o-pen the d-d-d-oor," you stammer through chattering teeth. "I can''t." Her voice is frantic. "It''s padlocked shut!" That''s impossible. If someone had stuck around long enough to padlock the door, you would have seen them. You turn your attention back to the safety release. If Irene won''t help, you''ll do it yourself. "That isn''t going to work," Irene tells you. "But there''s another way out." That gets your attention. "Look above you," she says. You do, and for the first time you notice the giant, round fan built into the ceiling. "That''s the ventilation shaft," notes Irene. "If you can climb inside, it''ll lead you just about anywhere in the school." You stare at it for a moment. "H-h-h-ow d-d-d-o I get u-u-p th-there?" Before Irene can answer, the fan starts to hum. "Use the shelves like a ladder," she says. "But you have to hurry. The fan will start running in a few seconds--and when it does, you''ll be trapped for good." A horrible idea occurs to you. What if Irene is behind everything? What if she''s trying to get rid of you? She didn''t show herself--didn''t suggest this new escape route--until you found the tool for opening the door. Maybe you were already on the verge of escape, and she''s trying to sidetrack you. Maybe this is Irene''s Plan B for eliminating you. After all, if you don''t time it just right, you''ll get caught in the middle when that fan starts spinning. Do you trust Irene, or has this case been a set-up all along? It''s time to find out. One choice will lead you closer to the truth. The other will certainly kill you. What will you choose to do?

Description for Sales People

According to Book Ad Report, "Mystery, thriller and crime genre is the leading book genre in the US, as nearly half of American consumers prefer this genre" There is a resurging interest in "choose your path" books; this title fills a market need for high-quality options In this interactive adventure, the reader takes on the role of an amateur detective New concept takes the "choose your path" format to the next level: readers identify suspects, gather clues, and use deductive reasoning to determine whodunit Age-appropriate puzzles add another fun wrinkle to the mystery-solving format High-interest story for ages 9 to 13 with added appeal as a ghost-themed mystery Video-game-in-a-book format that's perfect for today's kids--including reluctant readers Readers' experience: "The action-packed story holds my interest and keeps my attention because I make decisions that affect what happens next" Author is a public speaker who has presented to thousands of students and teachers per year Debut title for a new book series (Detective: You) that creatively introduces the mystery genre to a new generation of young readers Bonus educational content: Introduction to deductive reasoning in science and mathematics

Details