Ghosts, Toast, and other Hazards

From APALA Honor author Susan Tan, a middle-grade novel about a girl who must overcome her worries to find the truth behind her town's urban legend.

Moving to a new town is never easy, but it’s even harder when you’re dealing with a stepdad who just left and a mom who can’t get out of bed long enough to find a new job. But Mo doesn’t have time to dwell on these things.

Because it’s her job to keep her family together. To keep them safe.

So when an elephant starts to haunt her dreams—and a mysterious spirit attacks her home—Mo knows it’s up to her to intervene before things get too dangerous.

With her new friend, Nathaniel, she embarks on an investigation, searching for the truth about the town, its people, and their history. But things are much more complicated and tangled than she thought.

To find out what’s really going on, Mo might have to live a little dangerously after all.

Susan Tan has lived many places, but calls Concord, Massachusetts, home. She is the author of the APALA Award –winning Cilla Lee-Jenkins series. She grew up in a mixed-race family and always dreamed of being a writer. After studying at Williams College, she earned a PhD from the University of Cambridge, where she studied children's literature. She currently lives in Somerville, enjoys frequent trips to Chinatown to eat tzuck sang, and teaches at the University of Massachusetts, Boston

*"A realistic and deeply moving portrayal of a family’s journey through a challenging life transition." —Kirkus, starred review

*"Tan’s narrative employs rich sensory details that immediately hook readers and don’t let go until the very last sentence." —Horn Book, starred review

*"Tan’s prose captures Mo’s preteen mindset perfectly, wavering between profound anxiety and bravery, and bordering on carelessness... A poignant, deeply personal adventure for thoughtful readers." —SLJ, starred review

*"Mo’s sincere first-person narrative portrays the way that finding emotional safety—via attending therapy, and bonding with Uncle Ray over music—gives way to a feeling of peace." —Publishers Weekly, starred review

"Mo's challenges are many, but Tan deftly, realistically includes unexpected kindness and surprising allyship (librarians rule!), which help clear the many stumbling blocks. Tan dexterously navigates resonating topics—anxiety, grief, family dynamics, racism--with patient empathy and gentle humor." —School Library Journal

"This engaging, multilayered story about family history, community, and nefarious ghosts will find plenty of appeal for middle-graders who like fantasies grounded in reality." —Booklist

ISBN: 9781250909312