Title: Closed for the Season
Author: Mary Downing Hahn
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Genre: Young Adult, adventure, suspense
Age level: 9-12
Themes: Exploring the unknown, anxiety in unknown situations, adventure, solving mysteries
Synopsis: The weather-beaten sign on the gate of the Magic Forest says "Closed for the Season." But when the boys ride up to it on their bikes, Arthur tells his new friend, Logan, that the old amusement park hasn't been open for years. The overgrown park looks sinister even in broad daylight, so Logan is reluctant to go inside, but Arthur urges him on. He's sure they'll uncover important clues to the mystery they're trying to solve: Who killed Myrtle Donaldson? And what happened to the money she handled as head bookkeeper at the Magic Forest? Arthur and Logan's quest takes them to the lowest- and highest- levels of society in their small Virginia town. The boys must pay another visit to the Magic Forest, this time in the middle of the night. And this time, the find the killer waiting for them..
Synopsis: The weather-beaten sign on the gate of the Magic Forest says "Closed for the Season." But when the boys ride up to it on their bikes, Arthur tells his new friend, Logan, that the old amusement park hasn't been open for years. The overgrown park looks sinister even in broad daylight, so Logan is reluctant to go inside, but Arthur urges him on. He's sure they'll uncover important clues to the mystery they're trying to solve: Who killed Myrtle Donaldson? And what happened to the money she handled as head bookkeeper at the Magic Forest? Arthur and Logan's quest takes them to the lowest- and highest- levels of society in their small Virginia town. The boys must pay another visit to the Magic Forest, this time in the middle of the night. And this time, the find the killer waiting for them..
About the author: Mary Downing Hahn, a former children's librarian, is the award-winning author of many popular ghost stories, including Deep and Dark and Dangerous and The Old Willis Place. An avid reader, traveler, and all-around arts lover, Ms. Hahn lives in Columbia, Maryland, with her two cats, Oscar and Rufus.
Pre-reading activities: Have the students read the first page of every chapter; have them write down the emotions they feel as they read the first page and what they want to find out from that chapter.
Post-reading activities: At the end of each chapter, reviewing what happened to the boys, including any new characters they came across. Fill out a character analysis on each character as they are introduced in the book.
Reflection: I bought Closed for the Season at a book fair while I was student teaching, and as I read it I found myself glued to the pages, wanting to find out more. As a mystery book, I found myself wanting to keep reading to find out what would happen next.
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