Monster Tree

Something evil is growing in this spine-tingling middle grade novel about a boy who must protect his neighborhood from a malevolent monster tree while dealing with the recent loss of his father.

Linus used to be an artist, like his dad. Then his father died and Linus's mom moved them to the other side of the city, hoping for a fresh start. Maybe, for the first time since losing Dad, Linus will even start drawing again.

But there's something unusual about their new neighbor Maude, and something wrong with the grotesque tree in her backyard. At night Linus sees it moving, changing, growing. When increasingly bizarre events plague the neighborhood--massive claw marks, missing pets, sightings of a red-eyed creature--he suspects Maude and her tree are to blame, even if his mom doesn't quite believe him.

With his new home and new neighborhood under threat, Linus teams up with his goofy best friend Spencer and no-nonsense neighbor Abby to unearth whatever sinister seeds have been planted next door . . . even as something truly monstrous is taking root.

From the author of The Nightmare House ("A sophisticated choice for horror readers." --Booklist, starred review), Sarah Allen weaves the supernatural adventure of Stranger Things with a poignant tale of grief, healing, and the uniting force of friendship in Monster Tree.