The Whispering Pines (Exit 13 #1)

by James Preller (Author) Kevin Keele (Illustrator)

Reading Level: 4th − 5th Grade
Series: Exit 13

Welcome to the EXIT 13 Motel!

Pets welcome!

And don't worry, we've been waiting for you, so stay as long as you like.With black-and-white comic pages throughout, EXIT 13 is perfect for mystery and horror loving kids everywhere!

The McGinns were supposed to be going on a perfectly normal family vacation. Sure, Ash's older sister Willow was a pain, their dog Daisy was a whiny scaredy cat, and their parents were being kind of lame. All of that was to be expected. Perfectly normal! But when the family decides to make an unplanned stop one night, it quickly becomes clear that this family vacation is about to get more than a little weird, because there is nothing normal about the EXIT 13 Motel.

Rooms and hallways that don't go where they're supposed to, a receptionist that looks like he came straight out of a horror movie, and creepy woods that Ash swears have some kind of monster lurking in them - maybe even more than one. Something has been going on ever since the McGinns checked in to this motel, and if Ash and Willow can't get to the bottom of it, they might never be able to check out.

Explore the weird and creepy world of EXIT 13 in this spine-chilling series. Whether you're a fan of mystery, a lover of horror, or even a graphic novel super reader, EXIT 13 is sure to grab you. This illustrated novel -- the first in a new series -- includes black-and-white comic pages throughout!

Select format:
Paperback
$7.99

More books in the series - See All

Kirkus

Just right for Goosebumps fans, this compulsively readable (although at times exposition-heavy) offering builds a delightfully creepy atmosphere and leaves readers with many burning unanswered questions; expect vociferous demands for the sequel slated for later this year.... Intriguing both in plotting and format.

Publishers Weekly

Otherworldly hotel horrors interrupt a family's summer trip in this page-turning, humor-tinged series kickoff from Preller (Blood Mountain). On the road, the family of 11-year-old Ash McGinn becomes lost in a heavy fog, far from accommodations that will allow their goldendoodle, Daisy. When they pull over to assess the situation, Ash, whose imagination "conjured fresh terrors around every corner," is frightened by the appearance of two red eyes flashing in the nearby woods--and summarily mocked by older sister Willow. A suddenly lit-up billboard points the McGinns toward the rundown Exit 13 Motel, where a vampire-resembling teen greets them, emphasizing the establishment's love of animals. As unsettling events unfurl, reserved Ash feels drawn into the nearby woods at dusk, where he finds menacing, red-eyed rabbits, vicious crows, and a wolf that knows his name--leading to a midnight misadventure. Interspersed with climactic b&w paneled art by Keele, sensory-focused text builds a genuinely creepy vibe while following Ash's arc of connection and the siblings' growing bond. The biracial-cued siblings' father is of Scottish ancestry; their mother is described as having light brown skin. Othering language appears in descriptions of the variously diverse secondary cast. Ages 8-12. Author's agent: Elizabeth Bennett, Transatlantic Agency. (Feb.)

Copyright 2023 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.
James Preller
James Preller is the author of many popular books for young readers, including the "Jigsaw Jones" and "Scary Tales" series. He's also written award-winning middle grade fiction, including Six Innings, Bystander, Blood Mountain, and more. He lives in Delmar, NY with his wife Lisa. He has three children: Nicholas, Gavin, and Maggie -- and Echo, a rescue dog from Kentucky. James maintains an active blog at Jamespreller.com and very much enjoys school visits.
Classification
Fiction
ISBN-13
9781338810448
Lexile Measure
530
Guided Reading Level
-
Publisher
Scholastic Inc.
Publication date
February 07, 2023
Series
Exit 13
BISAC categories
JUV002000 - Juvenile Fiction | Animals | General
JUV058000 - Juvenile Fiction | Paranormal, Occult & Supernatural
JUV067000 - Juvenile Fiction | Thrillers & Suspense
Library of Congress categories
Fiction
Detective and mystery stories
Detective and mystery fiction
Hotels, motels, etc
Paranormal fiction
Horror fiction
Haunted places
Horror tales
Motels
Siblings

Subscribe to our delicious e-newsletter!