The Door Under The Stairs

Rhyming text warns of the gruesome sights that pop-up and pull-tab illustrations reveal in a creepy cellar.

Twelve-year-old Mary Hayes can't stand her orphanage for another night. But when an attempted escape through the stove pipe doesn't go quite as well as she'd hoped, Mary fears she'll be stuck in the Buffalo Asylum for Young Ladies forever. The very next day, a mysterious woman named Madame Z appears at the orphanage requesting to adopt Mary, and the matron's all too happy to get the girl off her hands. Soon, Mary is fed a hearty meal, dressed in a clean, new nightgown and shown to a soft bed with blankets piled high. She can hardly believe she isn't dreaming! But when Mary begins to explore the strange nearby town with the help of her new friend, Jacob, she learns a terrifying secret about Madame Z's true identity. If Mary's not careful, her new home might just turn into a nightmare. Award-winning author Katherine Marsh draws from Russian fairytales in this darkly funny middle-grade fantasy novel Praise for Jepp, Who Defied the Stars New York Times Notable Children's Books of 2012 The Wall Street Journal Best Children's Books of 2012 * "This shining gem is a must-have." ??? School Library Journal, starred review * "???an epic search for love, family, respect, and a destiny of one's own making." ??? Publishers Weekly, starred review * "???this outstanding work of historical fiction provides readers with more than just an imagined biography. Incorporating elements of adventure, romance, tragedy, intrigue, and science, the novel conjures a place and time not commonly explored in young adult fiction ???" ??? Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, starred review "Rich, absorbing storytelling???a terrific read in every way." ???Nancy Werlin, National Book Award Finalist and author of Impossible "Narrating a young adult novel from a dwarf's perspective is nothing short of inspired. ??? Marsh transcends genre to create an engaging narrative complex enough to keep not-so-young adults turning its pages." ??? The New York Times Book Review Praise for The Twilight Prisoner * "Readers should

Two children open a forbidden door under the stairs... A barkeep shuts his doors one night every year for a special party... Do you really know the Muffin Man... A boy's chance to save the world rests in the hands of a dismissive pterodactyl... Big troubles come to a wizard when he loses his hat... A former police officer decides to face the events of his past... A woman's relationship with her husband causes her to face a disturbing truth... A time when the end is really the beginning... The short story collection "Under the Stairs" was an idea born in response to Flash Fiction Month on a popular art and literature website. This collection contains 20 stories of various genres written by authors from around the world. Each story is under 2000 words in length and is sure to keep the reader entertained.

In this spine-tingling, atmospheric “nail-biter of a novel” (Shelf Awareness), a woman returns to her hometown after her childhood friend attempts suicide at an alleged haunted house—the same place where a traumatic incident shattered their lives twenty years ago. Few in sleepy Sumner’s Mills have stumbled across the Octagon House hidden deep in the woods. Even fewer are brave enough to trespass. A man had killed his wife and two young daughters there, a shocking, gruesome crime that the sleepy upstate New York town tried to bury. One summer night, an emboldened fourteen-year-old Clare and her best friend, Abby, ventured into the Octagon House. Clare came out, but a piece of Abby never did. Twenty years later, Clare receives word that Abby has attempted suicide at the Octagon House and now lies in a coma. With little to lose, Clare returns to her roots to uncover the darkness responsible for ruining their lives. A “spellbinding horror story, where the terror comes not from ghosts, but from the haunted places we find within ourselves” (Elizabeth Brundage, author of The Vanishing Point), Beneath the Stairs is perfect for fans of Jennifer McMahon, Simone St. James, and Chris Bohjalian.

Kerry Wilkinson's sensational Jessica Daniel series returns with Behind Closed Doors, as Jessica faces her darkest mystery yet. Detective Sergeant Jessica Daniel has barely left her house in months, isolated away from friends and colleagues. She may have given up on herself but one man is sure she still has something to offer. DCI Jack Cole gives her a chance at redemption: An opportunity to help a neighbouring force by discovering what is going on with a reclusive community living in a stately home in the middle of nowhere. People are going missing, turning up dead with only a vague link back to the house. But can Jessica beat her own demons in time to find out exactly what's going on behind closed doors?

If you were an inquisitive ten year old and discovered a mysterious door hidden under the stairs near the science lab what would you do? Well Joe pushed it open and went inside. The door slammed shut. The room was very small and dark. He pushed open the door in a hurry and got the shock of his life. He’d gone back in the time to just before Merdeka and met Tunku Abdul Rahman. Tunku was was in a dilemma as he couldn’t find the right music for Malaysia’s new national anthem. After a lot of persuading, Joe managed to get his friends Emil and Hanna to join him in helping Tunku. But they were running against time! The Mystery of the Missing National Anthem, written by Heidi Shamshudin and illustrated by Lim Lay Koon, is the first book in a series where the children have many adventures travelling back in time.

Much of Missoula's history lies beneath the surface. As in many Old West cities, cavernous underground tunnel systems purportedly hid countless nefarious activities, from clandestine prostitution and Chinese opium dens to booze running during Prohibition. These sordid tales captivate today's residents and beg questions about the city's furtive past. Did local elite gentlemen mask their carnal habits there? Did John Wayne really use the passageways to run personal errands unnoticed? Author and urban archaeologist Nikki Manning ventures below to reconcile oral history with archaeological data in a fascinating exploration of Missoula's subterranean labyrinths.