Closed for the Season (2009) by Mary Downing Hahn

Plot Summary:  Moving into a creepy old house in Virginia that is falling down is not Logan’s idea of a summer vacation.  To top that, the kid next door, Arthur, is kind of weird and won’t leave Logan alone.  Arthur tells Logan that he is happy that he has moved in since the house has been sitting empty since “poor old Mrs. Donaldson” was murdered.  Logan can’t believe that his parents have him living in a house that was once a crime scene!  Wanting more information, Logan and Arthur go to the local library in order to read the articles about the murder.  The boys find out that Mrs. Donaldson worked at the Magic Forest, an amusement park that has been closed for years.  They also discover that Mrs. Donaldson had been suspected of embezzling money, and whoever killed her must have been looking for the cash.  Intrigued, the boys decide to investigate further and at Arthur’s urging, they ride their bikes out to the run down amusement park that is scheduled for demolition.  What they find is a place that is overgrown with kudzu vines and extremely creepy.  It seems that there are a lot of other people in town who are urgently trying to discover the missing money, especially since the park will be bulldozed.

Together,  Arthur and Logan must put together clues to figure out where the money is hidden and who killed Mrs. Donaldson.  This investigation puts their lives at risk because out there somewhere lurks the killer.

Genre:  Mystery

Subjects/Themes: Friendship

Awards: Edgar Awards (Edgar Allen Poe Awards) Won award 2010

Reviews:  Positive reviews from Voice of Youth Advocates and School Library Journal

Age Group:  Grades 5-8

Other Mary Downing Hahn titles available at West Milford Township Library:

All the Lovely Bad Ones
Deep and Dark and Dangerous
The Ghost of Crutchfield Hall
The Old Willis Place
Stepping on the Cracks
A Time for Andrew:
Wait till Helen Comes: