City of the Dead (The Haunting of Derek Stone, Book 1) - Softcover

Abbott, Tony

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0545034299 ISBN 13: 9780545034296

Publisher: Scholastic Paperbacks, 2009

Synopsis

Tony Abbott combines the best of the action, suspense, and humor that has made DROON a hit for almost a decade -- and takes it to the next level in this spooky new middle grade series.

Could the road to the afterlife be a two-way street?
Derek Stone just turned fourteen. He's lived in the heart of New Orleans with his dad and older brother, Ronny, his whole life. He's a little overweight. He can't hear well out of his left ear.
Oh, and he's on the run from the dead.
Derek never imagined that the dead could be anything but dead. But there's no denying it. They're back -- and they're after him.
He just doesn't know why.
And he doesn't have long to figure it out.

About this title

About the Author:

Tony Abbott is the author of more than ninety books for young readers, including THE SECRETS OF DROON series; middle-grade novel KRINGLE; and THE HAUNTING OF DEREK STONE series. He was the recipient of the 2006 Golden Kite Award, as well as the 2009 Edgar Award. Tony was born in Ohio, and now lives with his wife and two daughters in Trumbull, Connecticut. Visit him online at www.tonyabbottbooks.com.

From School Library Journal:

Grade 5–8—Fourteen-year-old Derek survives a horrific train wreck, but his father and older brother Ronny are killed. When Ronny shows up a month after his death, with no explanation, their uncle, who is taking care of Derek and the estate, accepts him immediately. But it's soon apparent to Derek that Ronny is not who he seems to be. Investigating the fact that there was a similar disaster 70 years ago at the same place involving a train full of murderers and thieves introduces Derek to the idea of translation, or dead souls possessing the bodies of the more recent victims. The book's title refers to one of the large cemeteries in New Orleans. The first title (Scholastic, 2009) in the series by Tony Abbott ends with a cliffhanger. Nick Podehl does a good job with Derek's first person narration, lending an immediacy and urgency to the story. What secrets lie ahead in the City of the Dead? Though it occasionally veers off into territory where suspension of disbelief becomes a heavy burden, this should be a good match for reluctant readers.—Charli Osborne, Oxford Public Library, MI
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About this edition

• Publisher: Scholastic Paperbacks
• Publication date: 2009
• ISBN 10: 0545034299
• ISBN 13: 9780545034296
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 144